LP Slovak Rep East Slovakia 2007 5th

op
Krovsky
Chlmec
E71
Sea
E571
SLOVAK
Medzev
KARST
Jasov
Betliar
Krsna
Hrka
Zdielska
Castle
Roava
Canyon Jasov
Cave Moldava
Krsnohorsk
Krsnohorsk
Zdiel
Podhradie
Cave
Dvornky
Silica
Domica Cave
Gombaseck
Cave
E571
To Zvden
(55km)
CENTRAL
SLOVAKIA
Pleivec
ttnik
S l o v e n s k
Ochtin
Mur
Mur
Plain
NP
To Liptovsk
Mikulas (20km)
E50
Ochtinsk Cave
67
Dobin
Dobinsk
Ice Cave
Hornd Hrabuice
Poprad Spisk
tvrtok
Star
Smokovec
Vek Lomnica
Spisk Bel
Kemarok
Tatra
NP
trbsk
pleso
HUNGARY
Koice
Tornyosnmeti
E50
Storaljajhely
Trebiov
Slovensk
Nov Mesto
Michalovce
Pozdiovce
Herany
Gelnica
e
ri
h o
d o
u
R
E50
Margecany
Krompachy
Spisk
Vlachy
Spisk Kapitula
Smiany SPI
REGION
ingov Spisk
Nov Ves
Slovensk Raj
NP
Spi Castle
E50
Spisk
Podhradie
Levoa
VCHODOSLOVENSKNINA
Zemplnska
rava
Vyn
Nemeck
Sobrance
Rusk
Bystr
Remetsk
Hmre
ts
Vih
orla
Kalua
Vinn
ds
hlan
ig
k H
Humenn
Vranov nad
Topou
Preov
Sabinov
sa
Tory
Plave
Star
ubova
ubova
Castle
E50
Uzhhorod
Inovce
Uba
Hrabov
Roztoka
Kriv
Morsk
oko
Starina
reservoir Uliske
Snina
Bel nad
Cirochou
Vek
Doma
73
Lukov
sk
Spi
Tatransk
Kotlina
diar
Tatransk
Javorina
Pieniny
NP
Lesnica
erven
Kltor Vek
Lipnk g u
a
Dunajec
Gorge
Lysa Polana
beneath the Tatras in Kemarok (p412)

Float gently down the river between the towering cliffs of Dunajec gorge (p414)
Go deep into the earth in the caves of the Slovak Karst (p424)
Hervartov
Zborov
Slovak Karst
Take a break in the pleasant town square
rn
Ho
Church of St James in Levoa (p416)
Spi Castle
Slovensk raj
National Park
Lys nad
Dunajcom
See Slovakias greatest Gothic altar at the
Kemarok
Levoa
y
c h
v r
ke
Ondava
EAST SLOVAKIA
EAST SLOVAKIA
castle in Slovakia
EAST SLOVAKIA
Hike to Spi castle (p418), the largest
Mnek nad
Popradom
Piwniczna
ra
Bardejov
Slovensk raj National Park (p420)
pr
Dunajec Gorge
la
ec
bor
La
Torysa
ad
Unesco-listed Bardejov (p427)

Climb a ladder alongside a waterfall at
Bardejovsk
Kpele
Jedlinka
POLAND
HIGHLIGHTS
dava
On
Bardejov
Barwinek
Dukla pass
Nin
Vyn Komrnik
Komrnik
Dobroslava
Prkra
Bodrual
Krajn Poana
Miroa
Mikov
Ladomirov
Medzilaborce
Svidnk
Much of the Spi region is within easy day-trip distance from the resort towns of the
High Tatras.
N
z k
e
0
0
If youre craving city life, the east has that too. Koice, the countrys second-largest city, is a
grand mix of old and new, with a lively bar and caf scene and a towering Gothic cathedral.
Among all this eastern beauty is spread a fair share of industrial ugliness, but in general the
region still has a rural tranquillity and sense of remove worth discovering.
View the striking Renaissance square in
UKRAINE
Summer Only
Border Crossing
Rusk
sedlo
(795m) Dzurkpwiec
Be
Durkovec iertz
s k
(1189m) (1071m)
y d
Kremenec (1221m)
y
Poloniny
Topoa NP
Rusk
Nov Sedlica
Potok
Jalov
50 km
30 miles
Wooden churches, sprawling castle ruins, crashing waterfalls just beyond the High Tatras
lies the most intriguing, and least accessible, region in Slovakia. Its isolation has for centuries
preserved many folk customs, as well as protected a rich architectural heritage and natural
beauty. Here you can step back into the 15th century in Spi, or explore one of four national
parks. Visit the wooden churches, or a skanzen (open-air village museum) in the borderlands
and Sari areas to experience the traditional culture.
Po
East Slovakia
E A S T S L O VA K I A 407
lonelyplanet.com
ierna
nad
Tisou
Lonely Planet Publications

406
Tyr
br
eie
TRANSPORT
Bus Station.......................................42 D5
k
ns
v
Sv
to
ho
plu
ko
va
iko
ef
ov
ns
sk
Kov
Hlav
rska
Msia
20
30
nsk
tik
34
33
Biela
Potov
15
18
Msi
Train
Station
16
14
nr
ov
ska
vnk
bojo
va
elto
Zvo
sew
Roo
ho
Palack
ho
ck
la
Pa
Nm
Osloboditeov
trova
va
riko
Pal
To Michalovce
(54km)
EAST SLOVAKIA
37
Jun
trieda
23
trova
ano
Krm
Hotel
a
inov
Slovan
Prib
9
Dargov
Department
6
31 Store
rova
lavov
Rastis
Faculty Hospital
L Pasteura (1km)
Mojm
To Steel Arna (400m);

Koice International Airport (6km);
Roava (65km)
39
Grekova
ch
Hlav
Timonova
ick
va
Bon
ist
29
12
Nm
Slobody
10
Vrtn
kno
26
42
tifa
19
prize for sight most likely to grace your Koice

postcard home. Europes easternmost Gothic
cathedral (first built in about 1380 but remodelled many times) dominates the square.
k
lyns
Pro
11
na
The dark and brooding Cathedral of St Elizabeth
Stanin
nm
28
Pu
nm
38
22
Hlavn
nm
ncka
17
Zmo
21
eti
Alb
Sights
erzit
arska
41
Univ
40
e
iknsk
Domin
25
Mestsk Park
(City Park)
35
To Kosmalt
(1km)
27
dn
Vo
iarsk
Hrn
Fran
va
24
(Dm sv Albety; %0908667093; adult/student 70/35Sk;

h1-5pm Mon, 9am-5pm Tue-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) wins the
SHOPPING
Bijou DK...........................................41 B4
ova
se
Kasrensk
nm
Tesco
Department
Store
7
36
A4
C6
C4
A6
B5
Kme
Je
Hvie
Bak
ENTERTAINMENT
Piano Caf....................................... 36
Puppet Theatre................................ 37
Romathan........................................ 38
State Philharmonic........................... 39
State Theatre....................................40
ary
B5
A6
B3
A5
B5
C4
kova
Mas
re
va
lavo
zdos
DRINKING
Caf Slvia.....................................(see 22)
Cukrre Aida..................................33 B4
Jazz Club..........................................34 B4
Plzesk Pub....................................35 B4
Hutn
on
Stro
D
EATING
Bamba Lina...................................... 28 C5
Gvinda........................................... 29 C5
Keltsk Krma.................................. 30 A4
Lahdky...........................................31 B6
Retaurcia Dal................................32 A3
Rosto Steak House.........................(see 26)
To Preov
(36km)
cka
ov
kh
EAST SLOVAKIA
SLEEPING
Hotel Slvia................................22
K2..............................................23
Penzin Nad Bankou..................24
Penzin Platz............................. 25
Penzin Slovakia.........................26
Ubytova Mestsk Park............. 27
Maratnu
mieru
ka
13
ns
jre
200 m
0.1 miles
Executioner's Bastion...............(see 14)

Ferenc Rkczi House................ 14 B4
Jesuit Church............................. 15 B4
Miklu Prison..............................16 B4
Musical Fountain........................17 B5
Plague Column...........................18 B4
St Michael's Chapel....................19 B5
Shire Hall.................................(see 12)
Slovak Technical Museum.......... 20 B4
Urban Tower............................(see 21)
Wax Museum............................ 21 B5
B5
B5
B5
A3
Gor
als and fiction in English, some by Slovak authors.

City Information Centre (%625 8888; www.kosice
.sk; Hlavn 59; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) The
large, busy official tourist office has books and maps
galore, and internet terminals for 30Sk per hour. It also runs
info stands at the airport and train stations (same hours).
Faculty hospital L Pasteura (Fakultn nemocnica L
Pasteura; %615 3111; Rastislavova 43) One kilometre
south of the main square.
Left Luggage (train station; per day/item 40Sk;
h3.30-noon & 1pm-12.30am)
udov Banka (Mlynsk 29) Bank and ATM.
Municipal Information Centre Koice (MIC; %16
168; www.mickosice.sk) Tesco Department Store (Hlavn
111; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4.30pm Sat); Dargov
Department Store (Hlavn 2; h8am-7pm) Small, personal
info stands, with vibrant staff and tons of knick-knacks
for sale.
Net Club (Hlavn 9; per hr 50Sk; h9am-10pm) Fast
internet connections.
Police (%622 4289; Pribinova 6)
32
Moyzesov
Koice received its city coat of arms in 1369

and became an eastern stronghold and manufacturing centre in the Hungarian Empire.
Transylvanian prince Ferenc Rkczi II
had his headquarters in Koice during the
Hungarian War of Independence against the
Hapsburgs (170311), which failed. He was
shipped off to Turkey and reburied here only
in 1905. To this day Koice has a strong Hun-
Plane, train and bus stations all have ATMs.

Artforum (%623 2677; Mlynsk 6) Coffee-table pictori-
To Steam engine
train ride (2.5km);
Zoo Koice (9km)
History
Koice is 20km north of Hungary, 90km south

of Poland and 80km west of the Ukraine.
The adjacent bus and train stations are less
than 200m east of the main square, Hlavn,
which broadens into Nm Slobody and
Hlavn nm.
Information
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Archaeological Excavations........ 10
Cathedral of St Elizabeth............ 11
East Slovak Art Gallery................12
East Slovak Museum.................. 13
Moyzesov
People just naturally seem to congregate along

the long town square where caf terraces line
the streets and monumental architecture fills
the centre. Buildings range from 12th-century
Gothic to 20th-century Art Nouveau. Crane
your neck to admire the massive Cathedral of
St Elizabeth, before you head underground
to explore the ancient citys archaeology.
Come evening, gather with the locals on the
benches near the musical fountain, stop in a
caf for a drink or attend a performance at
the State Theatre. Slovakias second city has a
real sense of cohesion and community in the
old town, which is missing from the capital.
The industrial outskirts and vast residential
districts built during the communist era do
leave something to be desired though.
nsk
%055 / pop 235,000
A
INFORMATION
Artforum (bookstore)................... 1 B5
City Information Centre............... 2 B5
Internet Caf..............................(see 2)
udov Banka...............................3 C5
Left Luggage............................... 4 D4
Main Post Office..........................5 D3
Municipal Information Centre
Koice...................................... 6 B6
Municipal Information Centre
Koice.......................................7 B3
Net Club...................................... 8 B6
Police........................................... 9 B6
me
KOICE
Orientation
0
0
KOICE
Ko
Train and bus services west of Preov and

Koice are reliable and reasonably frequent.
East of Preov and Koice regular publictransport links become scarce and most
places can only be reached by (sometimes
infrequent) buses. Car rental in Koice is a
good option. The majority of roads are rural
lanes in good condition. The only stretch of
motorway in the east runs between Koice
and Preov, but construction is underway to
augment this.
E A S T S L O VA K I A K o i c e 409
Batov
Getting Around
garian accent and the Magyar language can

often be heard on the street.
The town became part of Czechoslovakia in
1918 but was occupied by Hungary from 1938
to 1945. On 5 April 1945 the Koice Government Program which made communist
dictatorship in Czechoslovakia a virtual certainty was announced here. Subsequently,
the communists built a large steelworks on
the outskirts of the city. You cant miss US
Steels influence today from the stacks at
the steelworks to the new ice hockey stadium
it sponsored.
lonelyplanet.com
Hradbov
Getting There & Away

If time is short, its easiest to fly into Koice
and start exploring East Slovakia and the
High Tatras from there. The E50 highway
from Bratislava dissects the Low and High
Tatras and has motorway sections. Bus and
train connections running across the northern
part of the country (via the High Tatras) are
quicker and, in general, more frequent than
connections across the southern part of the
country.
lonelyplanet.com
To
408 E A S T S L O VA K I A K o i c e
410 E A S T S L O VA K I A K o i c e
Frescoes decorate the interior, as do the stone

sculptures by Master tefan, a local 15thcentury sculptor. Ferenc Rkczi II is buried
in the crypt on the left side of the nave. For
grand views of the town climb the cathedrals
ornate tower. To the south of the cathedral is
the 14th-century St Michaels Chapel (Kaplinka sv
Michala; adult/student 30/15Sk; h1-5pm Mon, 9am-5pm
Tue-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat). Entry to the cheesy Wax
Museum (Mzeum voskovch figurn; %623 2534; www
.waxmuseum.sk; Hlavn 3; adult/student 120/80Sk; hnoon4pm Tue-Sun) gets you inside Urban Tower (built in
the 14th century, rebuilt in the 20th), on the

other side of the church.
Go underground to explore the buried remains of medieval Koice defence chambers,
fortifications, waterways and the cathedral
foundations in the mazelike passages of the
archaeological excavations (%622 8393; adult/student
25/10Sk; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun), unearthed during
roadwork in 1996. More hidden treasure
is on display at the East Slovak museum (Vchodoslovensk mzeum; %622 0309; Hviezdoslavovo 3;
adult/student 40/20Sk; h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun).
Workers found the secret stash of 2920 gold

coins, dating from the 15th to 18th centuries,
while renovating a house on Hlavn in 1935.
(Anyone have a shovel?) In the museum yard
theres a relocated 1741 wooden church thats
rarely open.
Historically, Koice was known for its
tinker tradesmen, and the Slovak Technical
museum (%622 4035; Hlavn 88; adult/student 40/20Sk;
h8am-5pm Tue-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat, noon-5pm Sun) shows
examples of old machines and wrought-iron
ornamental work. A mix of traditional and
out-there art characterises the East Slovak Art
gallery (Vchodoslovensk galria; %622 6667; Hlavn
where the 1945 Koice Government Program
was proclaimed.
Ferenc Rkczi House (Hrniarska 7; adult/student
40/20Sk; h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) contains
some of the Hungarian heroes personal effects. The museum complex was built in and
around the 15th-century Executioners bastion
(Katova bata), part of Koices ancient fortifications. Buy tickets here for Miklu prison
(Mikluova vznica; Pri Mikluovej vznici 10; adult/student
30/10Sk; h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun), a con-
nected pair of 16th-century houses that once

served as a prison and torture chamber.
Young and old gather on the benches facing
the musical fountain, near the ornate, c 1900
State Theatre (opposite). To the north there

is a large plague column (1723).
Koice for Children

Puppet Theatre (Bbkov divadlo; %622 0455;
www.bdke.sk; in Slovak; Rooseweltova 38) Holds daytime
performances throughout the year.
Steam engine train ride (%622 5925; rmel;
adult/student 20/10Sk; hSat & Sun May-Aug) Great for
the kids during summer. Located north of the centre. Take
bus 89 from outside the East Slovak Museum.
Zoo Koice (%633 1517; iroka 31; www.zookosice.sk;
adult/student 40/20Sk; h9am-7pm May-Oct, 10am-3pm
Nov-Apr) Located in the small village of Kaveany, 9km
north. To get there, take bus 29 from near the East Slovak
museum to the final stop.
Festivals & Events

Koice Days On 17 May the city lets its hair down for
a celebration of its citys founding that involves nightly
concerts on the square, as well as food and beer stands.
East Slovak Folk Festival This annual festival takes
place in mid-June.
Race for Peace On the first Sunday in October, sports
people from many countries participate in this marathon,
held here since 1924.
Sleeping
The City Information Centre puts out a booklet that lists student dormitories open to travellers in summer.
Kosmalt (%642 3572; www.kosmalt.sk; Kysuck 16;
s/d 590/630Sk; pi) This big apartment-block
hostel has a common game room, a bar and
restaurant, antique elevators and tolerable
rooms. Take tram 6 from the train/bus station
to the Kino Druba stop.
Penzin Slovakia (%728 9820; www.penzionslovakia
.sk; Orli 6; s 950-1150Sk, d 1350-1750Sk) Stay at the small
city guesthouse if you can its often booked.
The broadband-connected rooms, named
after Slovak towns, have more character than
most wood-panelled ceilings, skylights and
midcentury mod furnishings. Theres a boffo
restaurant downstairs, too.
Penzin Nad Bankou (%683 8221; www.penzion
nadbankou.holiday.sk; Kovska 63; s/d 1000/1400Sk; p)
Whitewashed walls and pine furniture characterise the simple pension above a bank.
The owners can arrange a light airplane ride
for 1950Sk.
Hotel Slvia (%622 4395; www.hotelslavia.sk; Hlavn
63; s 2100-3050Sk, d 2700-3900Sk; pai) Colourful mosaic murals are the icing on this 1902
Art Nouveau cake. The flourish continues
Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com
inside with serpentine, flower-shaped lights

and candy-coloured pastel walls in the rooms.
Dont skip the pastry-and-coffee tradition at
the grand 1st-floor caf.
Other options:
Ubytova Mestsk Park (%633 3904; www.ubytovna
-ke.sk; Mestsk Park 13; dm 220Sk) Workers hostel, mostly
male guests.
K2 (%625 5948; trova 32; s/d without bathroom
350/700Sk) Bed-only singles and doubles that fill fast.
Penzin Platz (%622 3450; www.platz.sk; Dominiknske nm 23; r 1500-1800Sk) Its a modular veneer world
behind the pretty plaster faade.
Eating
Though this city isnt far behind the capital
in population, dont expect exotic food options; most menus have a generic international mix.
Lahdky (Hlavn 2; mains 20-80Sk; h7am-7pm MonFri, 9am-5pm Sat, 9am-3pm Sun) The ground-floor
cafeteria at the Dargov Department Store
serves hot dishes sausages, stuffed cabbage rolls as well as sandwiches and salads.
Theres a supermarket too.
Gvinda (%620 0428; Pukinova 8; mains 80-120Sk;
hnoon-7pm Mon-Sat) Enjoy divine vegetarian
Indian food at a small eatery run by Hare
Krishnas. At midday theres usually a symboltapping chant parade.
Bamba Lina (%622 0180; Mlynsk 22; pizzas 110160Sk; h11am-1am Mon-Thu, 11am-3am Fri, 6pm-3am
Sat, 5pm-midnight Sun) The young and the hip fill
the modern, loftlike dining room at all hours.

They have a pretty good selection of veggie
pizzas, including broccoli.
Keltsk Krma (Celtic Pub; %622 5328; Hlavn 80;
mains 160-300Sk; h10am-11.30pm Mon-Thu, to 1am Fri
& Sat, 3pm-11.30pm Sun) Vaulted ceilings, ancient-
looking masks and wood booths do create a

Celtic sort of vibe that is conducive to leisurely
eating or drinking. The eclectic menu includes
Slovak pork in an apricot sauce, English roast
beef and Mexican enchiladas.
Still hungry?
Retaurcia Dal (%625 1908; Strojrenska 21; mains
200-400Sk) Timepieces hang from the ceiling where
upscale Slovak dishes are served.
Rosto Steak House (%728 9820; Penzin Slovakia;
Orli 6; mains 100-250Sk) Tasty grilled meats with various
dipping sauces.
Drinking
Plzesk Pub (%622 0402; Hlavn 92; hnoon-midnight Mon-Thu, to 1am Fri-Sun) Czech beer on tap
E A S T S L O VA K I A K o i c e 411
and roast pork and dumplings in the kitchen

(mains from 120Sk to 250Sk). Imbibe to your
hearts content out back in the beer garden.
Drink your coffee or cocktail in turn-ofthe-20th-century style at Caf Slavi (%623 3190;
Hotel Slavi, Hlavn 63; h7am-11pm) or indulge in a
creamy cake with your java down the street at
locally revered Cukrre Aida (%625 6649; Hlavn
81; h8am-10pm). Snacks cost 30Sk to 100Sk. Ice
cream for breakfast, yum.
Entertainment
The free monthly publication Kam do mesta
has comprehensive entertainment and restaurant listings in Slovak and is relatively
easy to decipher.
The City Information Centre sells some
tickets for the opera and dance performances
at the State Theatre (ttne Divadlo Koice; %622 1231;
www.sdke.sk; Hlavn 58; hbox office 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri,
10am-1pm Sat). The citys orchestra, the State Philharmonic (ttna Filharmnia Koice; %622 4514; www.sfk
.sk; Moyzesova 66), has extra performances in May
during the spring music festival. Though staged

rarely, a performance by Romathan (%622 4980;
www.romathan.sk; tefnikova 4), the countrys only
Roma theatre group, is a mix of song, dance
and exuberance worth seeing.
A dance music DJ spins most nights in
the cellars of the Jazz Club (%622 4237; Kovska
39; h11am-midnight Mon-Thu, 11am-2am Fri, 4pm2am Sat, 4am-midnight Sun) and at the Piano Caf
(%0915517339; Hlavn 92; h10-midnight Mon-Thu,
10am-1am Fri, 3pm-1am Sat, 3pm-midnight Sun), but each
occasionally has live jazz. The latter also has

an enclosed courtyard where a pianist plays
while diners chow down on pizza.
In February 2006, the towns revered ice
hockey team HC Koice got a new home: Steel
Arna (www.steelarena.sk; Nerudova 12) will co-host
the 2011 hockey world cup with Bratislava.
Buy tickets at the Municipal Information
Centre Koice or at www.ticketportal.sk.
Shopping
Wander onto Hrniarska for some truly
unique shopping. Along this traditional craftsman alley theres a potters shop, an ironworks
master, a semiprecious gem specialist, a baker
and an herbalist store. The leather-maker is
just around the corner at Kovska 19.
Bijou DK (%6259 859; Biela 7; h10am-8pm Mon-Fri)
Buy hand-painted art you can wear (scarfs),
drink from (wine glasses) and sparkle in
(jewellery).
EAST SLOVAKIA
EAST SLOVAKIA
27; adult/student 40/20Sk; h10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 2-5.30pm

Sat & Sun) inside Shire hall (upn dom; 1779),
Sights
nm 45; adult/student 60/30Sk; h9am-noon & 1-5pm TueSun May-Sep; on the hour 8am-3pm Mon-Fri Oct-Apr) houses
a museum with archaeology, town history

and period furniture exhibits. Constructed
in the 15th century, it was later surrounded
with massive bastions set off by delicate Spistyle battlements. A few remaining bits of the
The massive pea-green-and-red New Evangelical church (Nov Evanjelick kostel; %452 2242; cnr
0
0
op
ek
ja
Pri
me
dn
stie
dra
Hlavn
nm
op
iek
Pr
C2
C1
B3
B3
B3
SLEEPING
Penzin & Retaurcia U Jakuba..12 B1
Penzin Max...............................13 B1
EATING
Pizza Classica..............................14 B3
Gottwaldova
TRANSPORT
Bus Station................................. 15 A1
uli
10
11
B2
C1
ca
Hv
ny
ih
iez
do
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Basilica of the Holy Cross..............5
Castle...........................................6
Exposition of Historical
Furnishings...............................7
Lower Gate.................................. 8
New Evangelical Church...............9
Town Wall & Bastion..................10
Wooden Evangelical Church.......11
B2
C2
B3
B3
sla
ja
vo
14
INFORMATION
Alter Ego...................................... 1
Internet Netca.............................. 2
Kemarok Information Agency..... 3
Veobecn verov banka............4
Kray
EAST SLOVAKIA
to
rov
Ba
rce
ulica
1m
Cemetery
To Tatransk Lomnica (14km);

Cin Poprad (16km)
tor
ns
ka
me
ov
rnik
ia
Hra
rsk
nie
Ku
n
br
nikov
poiar
va
stie
me
xan
No
13
ubica
trh
Sta
12
ta
s
ce
ich
15
ka
ars
rbi
Ga
sk
To Star ubova (34km);

erven Kltor (60km)
lsk
po
1 km
0.5 miles
sti
KEMAROK
po
EAST SLOVAKIA
been carved by students of Master Pavol of

Levoa (Majster Pavol z Levoa). The finely
sgraffitoed, Renaissance belfry to the south
was erected in 1591.
The whitewashed castle (hrad; %452 2618; Hradn
.kezmarok.net; Hlavn nm 46; h8am-noon & 1-5pm

Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat, 9am-2pm Sun Jun-Sep) Stocks
heaps of brochures and souvenirs. The staff can help with
info about the eastern Tatras, too.
Veobecn verov banka (VB; Hviezdoslavova 5)
Has an ATM and exchange.
To
Snuggled beneath the brooding peaks of the

High Tatras, Kemarok may not seem dramatic, but its a truly pleasant place, with
numerous architecturally distinct churches, a
pocket-sized old town with resident castle
All those ice-cream shops and sidewalk cafs
alone make it worth a day trip from the Tatra
resort towns, but you might want to use this
as a base to explore further north.
Kemarok was granted free royal town
status in 1380 and was the second most important Spi town after Levoa, from medieval times until the 19th century. Native son
9pm) Email available.
Kemarok Information Agency (%452 4047; www
Ale
%052 / pop 12,740
2220; Nm poiarnikov; admission 10Sk; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri

Jun-Sep), whose wooden altars are said to have
Dr
KEMAROK
best bookstore map selections in the country.
Internet Netca (Hlavn nm 62; per hr 35Sk; h10am-
ov
Frequent express trains run to and from Poprad (154Sk, 1 hours, up to 10 daily) and
ilina (316Sk, 2 hours, 14 daily). If youre
commuting all the way to and from Bratislava
it can take six to seven hours on a fast train
(518Sk); an Intercity or Eurocity train (IC or
EC, five hours, four daily) is a better bet. Its
the same price, except you need a seat reservation, which is 20Sk to 40Sk extra. For domestic
schedules visit www.zsr.sk.
A sleeper train leaves Koice every morning
for Kiev in the Ukraine (913Sk, 22 hours),
stopping at op (193Sk, 2 hours), 14km
from Uzhhorod. Two daily trains (one overnight) head for Prague (1140Sk, 11 hours),
two for Budapest in Hungary (967Sk, four
in 1718. The cross-shaped interior of carved

and painted wood is beautiful.
On the site of one of the Germanic settlers
original churches is the late15th-century
Basilica of the Holy Cross (Bazilika Svtho Kru; %452
Bat
TRAIN
Kemarok is 14km from Tatransk Lomnica

and 16km from Poprad. The bus and train
stations are located about 500m northwest of
the town centre.
Alter Ego (%452 5432; Hlavn nm 3) Has one of the
ad
Big international chain rental agencies Hertz

(%789 6041; www.hertz.sk) and Europcar (%683 2132;
www.europcar.sk) are represented at the airport,
but Alimex (%729 0100; www.alimex.sk) is cheaper,
especially if youre willing to drive around
with adverts painted on the car (as little as
699Sk per day with unlimited kilometres).
A singular blend of Slovak and German culture, and a whole lotta Gothic art, are the
defining characteristics of a Spi town. In
the 13th century Hungarian King Bela IV
invited Germanic-Saxon craftsmen and mining experts to settle this area (which had been
depopulated by wars) and to protect against
further invasion. What developed was an administrative area with a distinct GermanoSlavic style architecture with elaborate roofline
ornamentation evident in all the towns. Also
look for landmarks like the Church of St James
in Levoa. The regions most arresting sight is
the stoic ruin of Spi castle.
Not all the regions beauty is manmade
though. Steep waterfall-filled ravines call out
to be climbed at Slovensk raj National Park
and you can float through the 500m-high
cliffs of Dunajec river gorge in Pieniny National Park.
Though rich in history, the Spi region
has pockets of abject poverty and some of
the areas large Roma population lives in
shanty-town settlements in below-standard
conditions.
Evanjelick kostol; %452 2242; admission 30Sk; h10amnoon & 2-4pm Mon-Sat May-Sep), built without a nail
Hr
CAR
SPI REGION
fortress of a 20th-century church. Inside is

Imre Thklys mausoleum. Next door is the
plastered old Wooden Evangelical church (Dreven
Orientation & Information
Buses wind their way to and from Levoa

(117Sk, 2 hours, two daily), Bardejov (98Sk,
1 hours, eight daily), and Poprad (134Sk,
2 hours, four daily). Buses also travel to
Uzhhorod in the Ukraine (140Sk, 2 hours)
at least once daily (twice from Tuesday to
Sunday) and to Nowy Targ in Poland (180Sk,
four hours) on Thursday and Saturday. A
bus goes from Koice to Miskolc (120Sk, two
hours) in Hungary on Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday. For longer distances the train
is usually best, having comparable prices and
shorter connection times.
Transport tickets (one zone 12Sk) are good for

buses and trams in most of the city centre; buy
them from newsstands and public transport
kiosks, then validate on board. Bus 23, which
runs between the airport and the train station,
requires a two-zone ticket (19Sk).
Poprad
BUS
Getting Around
Toporcerova & Hviezdoslavova; admission 30Sk; h10amnoon & 2-4pm Mon-Sat May-Sep) is a pseudo-Moorish
Imre Thkly was a contemporary of Ferenc

Rkczi who, like him, revolted against the
Hapsburg takeover of Hungary and died in
exile in Turkey. Things have slowed since and
the relative quiet is part of the attraction.
Koice International Airport (KSC; %622 1093; www

.airportkosice.sk) is about 6km southeast of the
centre. Sky Europe (%reservations 02-485 04850; www
.skyeurope.com) has two or three daily flights to
and from Bratislava (one hour) that can cost
as little as 500Sk one way (with tax), if you
book ahead. Czech Airlines (SA; %678 2490; www
.czechairlines.com) has three daily flights to and
from Prague. For more on getting to Koice
from beyond the Czech & Slovak Republics,
see p453.
hours) and three to Krakw in Poland (844Sk,

6 hours).
S P I R E G I O N K e m a r o k 413
rad
AIR
lonelyplanet.com
ren
lonelyplanet.com
Nb
412 S P I R E G I O N K e m a r o k
414 S P I R E G I O N Pi e n i n y N a t i o n a l Pa r k
original town walls linger, including the lower

gate (nin brna).The Szimary house, lived
in until 1973 by a baroness, now shelters the
Exposition of Historical Furnishings (Expozicia bytovej
kultry; %452 2906; Hlavn nm 55; adult/student 30/15Sk;
h9am-noon & 1-5pm Tue-Sun May-Aug, 8am-noon & 1-4pm
Mon-Fri Sep-Apr). At the southern corner of the
old town, along Priekopa, are fragments of

a reconstructed 14th-century town wall and
bastion.
Festivals & Events

On the second weekend of July, the European
Folk Craft Market (Eurpske udov remeslo; www.kezmarok
.net) attracts artisans from across the country. Theres oodles of fine craft work, live
music, food, drink and general merriment to
enjoy.
The Kemarok Information Agency has a list
of private rooms (250Sk per person) for rent,
some of which are also posted on its website.
There are no fewer than six cukrre (pastry
cafs) serving cakes and ice cream in the pedestrian area.
Penzin Max (%452 6324; www.maxpenzion.kezmarok
.net; Star trh 9; r per person 550Sk; p) Many of the
extremely large rooms have three or four
beds. Somebody here loved upholstery: theres
heavy-duty multicoloured fabric on all the
furniture.
Penzin & Retaurcia U Jakuba (%452 6314;
www.penzionujakuba.sk; Star trh 39; d 880-1190Sk) An
authentic, folksy Slovakness pervades this
guesthouse and restaurant. Take a seat at a
communal wooden bench near the open fire
and be waited on by servers in area folk dress.
(Rooms upstairs are more simply outfitted in
pine.) Remember to call a day ahead if you
want a whole roast pig.
Pizza Classica (%452 3693; cnr Hviezdoslavova &
Hlavn nm; pizzas 90-170Sk) The cellar dining room
is kind of small, but in summer they also
serve their pizzas around the corner on the
main square (see waiter run). The bryndzov
(sheeps cheese) pizza with bacon is an interesting take on a traditional fave.

Area buses are faster and more plentiful than
trains at similar cost. Buses run hourly to and
from Poprad (22Sk, 30 minutes) and every
1 hours to and from Tatransk Lomnica
(22Sk, 30 minutes). From Monday to Friday,
there are three buses a day to erven Kltor

(58Sk, 1 hours) and four to and from Levoa
(40Sk, 50 minutes). Unless you take the one
weekday bus from Koice (2 hours, 138Sk)
at 2.55pm, to get here you have to switch at
Poprad.
PIENINY NATIONAL PARK

%052
The main reason people come to the tiny,

21-sq-km Pieniny National Park (Pieninsk
nrodn park; Pienap), is for a chance to float
on a raft through Dunajec gorge. The park was
created in 1967, in combination with a similar
park near Szczawnica in Poland to protect
the 9km gorge near the village of erven
Kltor and its eponymous monastery. A bit
further downstream, Lesnica is the terminus
for rafting trips in Slovakia. Past 500m-tall
cliffs, the gentle waters of the Dunajec carry
tourists in a plt (shallow, flat-bottomed wood
rafts), complete with a pole-wielding, costumed guide.
A small Information Centre (%482 2122; www
.pieniny.sk; h9am-5pm May-Oct) is about 2km west
of the monastery. CK Pieniny Klub (%439 7303;
www.sl.sinet.sk/pieniny; Lesnica 62,erven Kltor) travel
agency books accommodation and hires out
guides. Pick up VKs 1:25,000 Pieninsk
Nrodn Park map (sheet No 7) for detailed
exploring on foot.
Sights & Activities

At the mouth of the gorge is the fortified Red
Monastery (erven Kltor; %482 2955; adult/student
50/25Sk; h9am-5pm May-Oct). Built in the 14thcentury, its now used as a park administrative
centre and museum with a statuary collection,
folk crafts and frescoes. The park in front of
it is one of the launch sites for river float trips
(adult/student 250/100Sk; hMay-Oct), the other is
1km upriver, west of the village. A raft may
wait until it has as many passengers as possible (capacity 12) before setting out. Dont be
expecting white-water thrills the Dunajec
river is a rather sedate 1 hour experience.
Theres an interesting riverside trail from the
monastery (4km to Lesnica), which you might
opt for instead.
From the downriver terminus near Lesnica
(the water landing is 1km north of the village)
you can hike back to erven Kltor along
the riverside trail through the gorge in a little
over an hour. Or you can walk to Chata Pieniny (opposite) in Lesnica; it rents out bicycles
S P I R E G I O N S t a r u b o v a 415
RAFTING IN POLAND
The Dunajec river divides Slovakia and Poland, though once on the river its something like an
international free-for-all. The Poles offer much longer trips, including a two-day, 50km voyage
from Katy to Krocienko. Depending on your stamina and visa status, it may be worthwhile crossing over into Poland to do your rafting from there. Theres a pedestrian-only border crossing
(h9am-9pm Apr-Sep, 9am-5pm Oct-Mar) from Lesnica to the Polish town of Szczawnica. From there
frequent daily buses go to Nowy Targ (38km) where you switch to a bus going to the main rafting centre at Katy. By car, you can cross the SlovakPolish border at Lys nad Dunajcom (6km
west of erven Kltor).
one way (100Sk per day) for the riverside trail.

Ride back to the monastery where you return
the bikes. The lodge also runs a shuttle bus to
erven Kltor (50Sk, 20km by road).
Festivals & Events

Brightly attired dancers perform at the annual
Zamaguria Folk Festival (Zamagursk folklrny
slvnosti) near the monastery in the middle of
June. Each September the International Pieniny
Canoe Slalom (Medzinrodn pieninsk slalom)
is held on the river here.
Sleeping & Eating

CK Pieniny Klub travel agency handles private
rooms (some are posted on their website) for
about 250Sk per person. Also look for private
signs on the main road in erven Kltor.
Food stalls stand between the monastery and
the river launch.
Chata Pieniny (%439 7530; www.chatapieniny.sk; Lesnica; dm 280Sk) Cheap and cheerful Chata Pieniny
is an old log lodge with two- to six-bed rooms
at the raft terminus. Theres a restaurant,
minimarket and bike rental.
Dunajec Recreational (Rekrean zariadenie; %439

Getting here is a challenge unless you have
a car. Buses run to erven Kltor from
Kemarok (58Sk, 1 hours, three daily) and
to and from Poprad (89Sk, 1 hours, three
daily Monday to Saturday, one Sunday). From
Koice (152Sk, 3 hours) theres one direct afternoon bus, otherwise you have to change in
Star ubova (40Sk, 35 minutes, six daily).
STAR UBOVA
%052 / pop 16,200
Skip the nondescript town; head to the castle

overlooking the Poprad river, and the skanzen below. From the adjacent bus and train
stations, walk up to the main road and turn
left, follow the 2.5km red-marked trail to the
castle. If you turn east instead and go 1km,
youll get to Nm sv Mikula, the main town
square, with the City Information Centre (%432
1713; www.staralubovna.sk; Nm sv Mikula 12; h911.30am & 1-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) and a couple
of banks with ATMs.
Sights & Activities

Striking ubova castle (ubovniansky hrad; %432
7105; www.dunajec.sk; s/d without bathroom 300/600Sk; 2

persons in hut 580Sk, per person/tent 60/50Sk; p) One
2030; adult/student 60/30Sk; h 9am-6pm May-Sep,

10am-3pm Mon-Sat Oct-Apr) lies half in ruins, half
kilometre south of the monastery, toward

Vek Lipnk, this complex has five huts for
rent (sleeping six), a restaurant, a bar, bike
rental, a camping ground and sports courts.
Penzin Holica (%439 7114; Lesnica 156; r/apt
700/1000Sk) Spotless, if bare, rooms here are
worth seeking out, 1km south of the village.
This penzin and small restaurant are quite
popular with groups.
Hotel Pltnk (%482 2525; erven Kltor; www.hotel
pltnik.sk; s/d 720/870Sk, per person/tent 60/50Sk; p) The
not-so-youthful hotel has small rooms with
wood-panelled ceilings and not much else. It
runs a camping ground in the big riverfront
field adjacent.
in reconstruction, but the mix of Gothic,

baroque and Renaissance styles makes for
an interesting self-guided tour. The skyclad location of its top tower (think lots of
climbing) provides views across the valley
to the Spiska Magura mountains, as well as
the Roma shanty town on the edge of Star
ubova. Different parts of the palace contain exhibits on the castle history, weaponry
and period furniture. Every June, a medieval
encampment gathers below the gates to reenact an ancient battle; just one of many
summer weekend festivals.
The few plastered wooden houses and
a church in the skanzen (adult/student 30/15Sk;
EAST SLOVAKIA
EAST SLOVAKIA
Sleeping & Eating
416 S P I R E G I O N Le v o a
Vetro
Uhon
tok
Nm
Majstra
Pavla
To Spisk
Podhradie (15km)
Koick
rsk
17
Nm
tefana Kluberta
cesta
to
Kl
15
rova
Prob
lsk
pit
5
Siro
tns
13
ka
Gu
sta
3
v
No
ok
ns
Vy
va
v
ico
To Spisk Nov Ves (10km);

Poprad (22km)
esta
va c
tnero
s
Prob
rm
ana
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Cage of Shame.............................5 B2
Church of St James.......................6 B2
Church Ticket Office..................(see 8)
Master Pavol House..................... 7 C2
Municipal Weights House.............8 B2
Spi Museum...........................(see 10)
Thurzov House............................ 9 C2
Town Hall.................................. 10 B2
SLEEPING
Hotel Satel..................................11 B2
Oza..........................................12 A3
Penzin U Leva.......................... 13 B2
To Bus & Train

Stations (1km)
INFORMATION
Levonet Internet Caf...................1
Post Office...................................2
Tourist Information Office............3
Veobecn verov banka............4
B3
B2
B2
B3
EATING
Pizzeria.......................................14 B1
Retaurcia u Janusa...................15 B2
Vegetarin..................................16 B1
TRANSPORT
Bus Stop.................................... 17 D2
EAST SLOVAKIA
He
Kuku
12
nov
10
2
siar
stne
ska
No
re
artefacts in wood-panelled chambers. South

of the town hall is the Cage of Shame (Klietka
hanby), where naughty boys and girls were
publicly punished.
3
11
To Church
of Marinska
hora (2km)
cest
Ruov
(%451 2449; www.snm.sk; adult/student 50/20Sk; h9am5pm), which displays folk dresses and town
16
The Gothic spindles-and-spires Church of St

James (Chrm sv Jakuba; %451 2347; www.chramsvjakuba
religious art and rare furnishings, though everyone comes to see the splendid three-sided
wooden altar (1517) created by Master Pavol of
Levoa. At more than 18m high, and 6m wide,
its said to be the worlds largest. Exquisite 3-D
representations of the Last Supper and the
Madonna and Child decorate the structure.
(Think Mary looks familiar? Her face appears
on the 100Sk banknote.) The church ticket office
(kasa; h11am-5pm) is inside the Municipal Weights
House (Budova mestskch vh). Off season, if
there are fewer than five people at a tour time,
the keeper may not open up.
The originally Gothic town hall (radnica)
and tower got a Renaissance face-lift in 1551,
creating what is now one of Levoas most
beautiful buildings. Inside is the Spi museum
14
Uhon
Sights
.sk; adult/student 50/30Sk; htours 11.30am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm
& 4pm Tue-Sat Sep-Jun, 11am-5pm Mon, 9am-5pm Tue-Sat
Jul & Aug) is basically a museum of medieval
sk
Ka
EAST SLOVAKIA
mar
Bato
200 m
0.1 miles
C
Ke
ka
Like other Spi towns, Levoa was settled

and enriched by a wave of Saxon artisans in
the 13th century. It prospered from trade in
gold and woodcarving for centuries. Much
of its present Renaissance personality comes
from a building boom after a huge fire in the
16th century.
ac
History
Medieval walls stand stolid and defensive,

protecting the age-old centre from onslaught.
Levoa is one of the few Slovak cities to have
its ancient old town defences largely intact.
The pride of Slovakias religious art collection,
an 18m-high altar carved by renowned artist
Master Pavol of Levoa, resides within the
centre squares Church of St James. Surrounding the church is a panoply of ancient houses
with mostly Renaissance faades.
.levoca.sk; Nm Majstra Pavla 58; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat,

10am-2pm Sun May-Oct; 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri Nov-Apr) Ask
for the free photocopied map staff hide under the counter.
Veobecn verov banka (VB; Nm Majstra Pavla 28)
0
0
LEVOA
%053 / pop 14,400
80Sk; h10am-midnight)
Post office (Nm Majstra Pavla 42)

Tourist Information Office (%451 3763; www
Dl
LEVOA
Levonet Internet Caf (Nm Majstra Pavla 38; per hr
Up to eight town buses travel to and from the

castle and the train and bus stations (12Sk)
Monday to Friday, but services are rare on
weekends.
Oza (%451 4511; www.ubytovanieoaza.sk; Nov 65; per

person 300Sk) The two-bed rooms with shared
bathrooms, and the four-bed en-suite rooms
with kitchen, are just what the budget doctor
ordered. Theres a big garden with a lawn,
vegetable garden a chicken coup. The superpersonable owner speaks several languages.
Penzin U Leva (%450 2311; www.uleva.sk; Nm
Majstra Pavla 24; s/d/apt 1100/2000/2400Sk; p) A new
elevator is a welcome addition to these two
town-square buildings turned modern,
reader-recommended lodging. Apartments
have kitchens.
On the first weekend in July up to a quarter of

a million pilgrims converge on the Church of
Marinska hora for a Marian Pilgrimage (Marian p). Mass is celebrated hourly from 6pm
to
Getting Around
Information
Sleeping & Eating
Festivals & Events
Ba
Buses connect with erven Kltor (40Sk, 35

minutes, six daily), Bardejov (78Sk, 1 hours,
seven daily) and Kemarok (44Sk, 45 minutes). There are up to 11 trains a day between
Star ubova, Kemarok (36Sk, 50 minutes)
and Plave (24Sk, 20 minutes), where you
change trains if youre bound for Poland. Five
daily buses run to and from Koice (143Sk,
2 hours).
Levoa is on the E50 motorway between Poprad

(28km) and Koice (94km). The centre is 1km
north of the train and bus stations. Most buses
also stop at Nm tefana Kluberta, a few blocks
east of the main square, Nm Majstra Pavla.
Po
Orientation
on Saturday, but the one to wait for is at 10am

on Sunday.
Ubytovac hostinec Peters (%432 4891; Pod hradom;

s/d 200/400Sk; p) If youre stuck on the way up
to the castle, this place has basic rooms and
a restaurant.
Sala U Franka (%436 9292; Popradsk 34; mains
100-150Sk) This sprawling, rustic eatery lies 3km
south on the road toward Poprad. It serves a
fresh variety of dumpling dishes topped with
brynda (sheeps cheese) and bacon, cabbage,
onions or kielbasa. Occasional folk nights
include live bands.
The pedestrian centre is chock-a-block

with Gothic and Renaissance eye candy. The
finest is the Thurzov house (Thurzov dom;
1532) at No 7, with its characteristic frenetic Spi Renaissance roofline. At No 20,
Master Pavol House (Dom Majstra Pavla; %451 3496;
adult/student 40/20Sk; h9am-5pm), run by the Spi
museum, is devoted to the towns famous
sculptor son.
From town you can see the Church of Marinska hora, on a hill 2km north.
Sleeping & Eating
Levoas fortunes collapsed in the 17th

century after an area anti-Hapsburg uprising
failed. Again on the temporarily losing side,
a Slovak army garrison from Levoa joined
in the short-lived, antifascist Slovak National
Uprising in 1944. German troops occupied
the town until its liberation by the Soviets in
February 1945.
S P I R E G I O N Le v o a 417
vo
of the styles typical of the Spisk Magura

region Slovak, Polish, Rusyn and German.
Le
h9am-6pm May-Sep, 10am-3pm Oct) reflect a blend
418 S P I R E G I O N S p i s k P o d h r a d i e & A r o u n d
Hotel Satel (%451 2943; www.hotelsatel.com; Nm

Majstra Pavla 55; s/d 1765/2730Sk; p) Float into the
swish luxury of the towns top hotel. You can
tell the building dates back to the 14th century
by the rooms arched, vaulted ceilings and
the atrium arcade. However, its amenities
are modern, and it has wi-fi and a massage
service.
Vegetarin (%451 4576; Uhon 137; mains 45-90Sk;
h10am-3.15pm Mon-Fri) Wholesome smells and
a no-fuss menu make this basic veggie haunt
a hit. Casseroles and tofu dishes are on the
rotating list of dishes.
Retaurcia u Janusa (%451 4592; Kltorsk 22;
mains 70-120Sk) Choose from all the fried pork
favourites at the locals pick for Slovak food.
Tables fill up quick at lunchtime.
Pizzeria (%0905396528; Vetrov 4; pizzas 100-160Sk)
For such a smoky, nameless place, they really
dont serve bad pizza. Upstairs, two apartments with kitchens (1000Sk) and one small
single room (500Sk) are for rent.

Buses travel to Spisk Podhradie (22Sk, 20
minutes, 11 daily) and to Poprad (40Sk, 30
minutes, 21 daily), which has onward train
connections on the main BratislavaKoice
line. Two to five buses a day wend their way
to and from Koice (128Sk, two hours). Buses
also run to Spisk Nov Ves (18Sk, 20 minutes, every half hour), which is not a great
town, but it is on the main train line (and is a
gateway to Slovensk raj National Park).
lonelyplanet.com
must have been for ancient enemies. Sitting

hilltop 200m above a broad valley floor the 4
hectare spread still inspires awe today and
its in ruins.
In the 12th century a settlement, Spisk
Podhradie, appeared below the neighbouring
castle. It developed into an artisans town in
the 13th century when, to the west, Spisk
Kapitula (Spi Chapter) developed. The village
itself isnt the attraction, its the Unesco-listed
castle thats one of Slovakias true wonders.

Spisk Podhradie is 15km east of Levoa, off
the main E50 highway between Koice and
Poprad. Most long-distance buses stop in the
main square, Mariansk nm, where theres
a post office, an ATM and a bus stop. The
Spisk Podhradie train station is 1.5km east
of the centre, below the path to the castle.
Spisk Kapitula is on another ridge 1km
west of Spisk Podhradie, and has its own
bus stop. For a day trip arrive early and give
yourself at least 4 hours (including walking
time) to see both the castle and Spisk Kapitula. You may be able to leave your bags at
the train station (ask the stationmaster very,
very nicely).
Sights & Activities

SPI CASTLE
You may think youre experiencing dj vu

the first time you catch a glimpse of the photogenic ruins of Spi castle (Spisk hrad; %454
SPISK PODHRADIE & AROUND
1336; www.spisskyhrad.com in Slovak; adult/student 100/60Sk;

h9am-6pm May-Oct, by appointment Nov-Apr); the cas-
From far down the motorway you catch

glimpses of eerie outlines and stony walls
crowning a ridge. Can it really be that big?
you think. Once youre upon it you realise
how truly daunting the sight of Spi castle
tle appears on so much Slovak promotional

material (showing the field below it alternately
covered in snow or flowers). One of the biggest castles in Central Europe, it has been a
Unesco World Heritage site since 1993.
Why, hes from Levoa, of course, just ask anyone. But the nations premier medieval artist is a
bit more elusive than that. He was a sculptor and carver who did amazing Gothic things with
wood during the 15th and early 16th centuries OK weve got that. And he had a woodcarving
workshop in Levoa, where he married a wealthy woman and sat on the town council. But where
was he born? When did he die? No one can say for sure. A damaging fire swept through Levoa
in 1550, taking with it most of the towns archives and Mr Pavols last name.
What else do we know? Well, he worked an awful lot. To this day there are intricate altars and
engaging statues he and his students carved scattered across the Spi region. Rumour has it that
one of the 12 apostles in the Last Supper on the St James altar in Levoa is really a self-portrait.
Maybe you can figure out who he is.
References to the castle first appear in a

1209 chronicle, and the central residential
tower, at the highest elevation, is thought
to date from that time (there are great views
from the top). Defenders repulsed the Tatars
in 1241, and the rulers and noble family owners kept adding on to the place during the 15th
and 16th centuries. By 1780 when a fire hit,
much of the military threat had abated and it
was largely deserted. Few structures remain
whole today, but theres a cistern, a chapel
and a rectangular Romanesque palace, which
holds the museum. Descend to the dungeon to
see the meaty bits its incredible the torture
devices the human mind can think up.
Throughout summer the castle hosts medieval festivals, which consist mainly of music
and mock battles. To get to the castle, cross
the tracks near the train station and follow the
yellow markers up the steep trail. By car, the
easiest approach to the castle is via the main
highway from the east (Preov) side.
S P I R E G I O N S p i s k N o v Ve s 419
and then settle into a simple wood-panelled

room for the night. This log-cabin complex is
on the road to Spisk Podhradie, 3km west
of Spi Chapter.
Kolping House (%0905790097; www.hotelkolping
.sk; Spisk Kapitula 15; s/d 1100/1600Sk; pi) A romantic little outfit actually inside the walls of
Spisk Kapitula. Antiques and reproductions
fill the rooms and restaurant.

A railway line connects Spisk Podhradie
to Spisk Vlachy (12Sk, 10 minutes, eight
daily), a station on the main line from Poprad
to Koice. Relatively frequent buses run to
and from Levoa (22Sk, 20 minutes, 11 daily)
and Poprad (55Sk, 50 minutes, eight daily). If
youre travelling to Spiska Kapitula by bus
from Levoa, get off before the main town at
Spisk Podhradie, Kapitula.
SPISK NOV VES

%053 / pop 39,200
SPISK KAPITULA
Another national treasure is a short distance

away. The partially active Spisk Kapitula
(Spi Chapter) is an ecclesiastical complex built
in the 13th century, completely encircled by a
16th-century wall. Charming Gothic houses
line the single street running between the two
medieval gates. Buy tickets and pick up a guide
from the Information Office (%0907388411; adult/
student 20/10Sk; h11.15am-2.45pm). At the upper
end is the magnificent Romanesque St Martins Cathedral (Katedrl sv Martin; 1273) with
twin towers and an ancient Gothic sanctuary.
Inside are several trifold painted Gothic altars
from the 15th century that are impressive. On
either side of the cathedral are the seminary
(seminra) and the Renaissance bishops palace
(biskupsk palc; 1652).
Sleeping & Eating

Penzin Podzmok (%454 1755; www.penzionpodzamok
.sk; Podzmkov 28, Spisk Podhradie; s/d without bathroom
300/650Sk; ps) Three family houses cobbled
together make a 42-bed guesthouse (meals

available) with a unobstructed castle view
from the garden. Its at the end of the street
east of the bridge, between Mariansk nm
and the train station.
Spisky Sala (%454 1202; www.spisskysalas.sk;
Levosk cesta 11; s/d 420/800Sk; p) What rustic fun!
Dig into lamb stew at the folksy restaurant
(or have grilled chicken by the outdoor fire)
You may have to stop at this unfortunate town

on the Hornd river before going to nearby
Slovensk raj National Park; there are few
markets within the parks boundaries and
to get to most of the park villages requires
a transport change here. No need to linger
though.
The bus and train stations are northwest
of the centre; walk south on Odborrov and
turn left on Dulianska, which morphs into
the main square Radnin nm, bounded by
Letn and Zimn (Summer and Winter).
Theres an ATM at the train station and at
banks on the main square. Help at the Tourist
Information Centre (Map p421;%442 8292; Letn 49;
h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1.30pm Sat Jun-Sep, 8am4.30pm Mon-Fri Oct-May) is hit or miss. Connect to
the wider world at Internet Klub (Map p421;%441
4402; Letn 4; per hr 50Sk; h9am-9pm).
Opposite the bus station is a massive Billa

supermarket (Map p421), which is the best
thing about the place. If youre waiting for
the tourist office to open after a break, you
could eat at Caf Nostalgia (Map p421; Letn 49; mains
95-250Sk). The 50s memorabilia goes with the
names of the dishes (like James Dean chicken
salad).
Spisk Nov Ves lies on a main line served
by 11 daily express trains between Bratislava
(450Sk, 5 hours) and Koice (104Sk, one
hour), with a stop at Poprad (56Sk, 20 minutes). Theres a frequent bus service to and
EAST SLOVAKIA
EAST SLOVAKIA
WHO THE HECK IS MASTER PAVOL?
TRANSPORT
Bus Station........................................16 F1
Spisk
Nov Ves
16
SLEEPING
Autocamp Podlesok............................6 C1
Autocamping Tatran.......................... 7 D1
Horsk Hotel Geravy.......................... 8 C4
Mlynky
5
To Dobin (8km);
Roava (24km)
Palcmansk
Maa
Prostredn
Hmor
67
Dobinsk adov
Jaskya
Straten
Havrania skala
Srnie skaly (1153m)
(1170m)
Vernr
Palcmansk
Maa
Suchvrch
(1121m)
Priehrada
Biele Vody
ge
ck
la
Koarisko
Vrbov
(986m)
nn
me
Ka
ol
ok
Vek
Road closed
in winter
To Poprad
(9km)
r
Geravy
Go
k
ars
jm
e
Z
Medvedia
Bykrka jaskya
(1058m)
Vek poana
Mal poana
(1030m)
ck
ie
nP
Stred
Yellow-Marked Trail
Green-Marked Trail
Blue-Marked Trail
Red-Marked Trail
B
A
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Dobinsk Ice Cave............................ 4 A4
Hotel Mlynky..................................... 5 D4
Kraova hora
(1072m)
Klauzy
Zlat
diera
ey
Vall
rn
Ho
13
Podlesok
vr
Stratensk
pla
Gaovsk skala
(1106m)
Dedinky
12
ok
Pot
Biely
Kltorisko
10
Letanovsk
mlyn
Hrabuice
INFORMATION
Internet Klub.......................................1 F1
Mountain Rescue Service....................2 E2
Tourist Information Centre..................3 F1
Novovesk Huta
Slovensk Raj
National Park
Tomovsk
11
vhad
7 9
(667m)
urkovec
15
ingov
Smiany
Smiany
d
orn
Spisk
Tomovce
Spisk
Tomovce
To Levoa (5km);
Poprad (17km)
0
0
To Tourist
Information Office;
Ascona Caf (200m)
ce
SLOVENSK RAJ NATIONAL PARK
sta
ac
Gl
EAST SLOVAKIA
lia
ko
Hlavn, Hrabuice h8am-6pm Jul & Aug, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri
l Gorg
e
Such Be
cesta
EAST SLOVAKIA
Before you go trekking buy VKs 1:25,000

Slovensk raj hiking map (No 4), available at
many tourist offices and bookshops countrywide. This can be complemented by the 40
walks found in The Slovak Paradise (No 2)
book, part of the Knapsacked Travel series.
For the best trail and weather information,
and help in booking a chata along the way,
contact the parks Mountain Rescue Service (Horsk
sluba; %053-449 1182; ingov; h8am-6pm). Theres
a small Tourist information Office (%053-429 9854;
So
Information
Kltorsk
Gorge
Bel
Slovensk raj National Park starts just 9km

south of Poprad. Most public transport access to the park is through Spisk Nov
Ves, which is 23km southeast of Poprad, at
the eastern end of the Low Tatras. The main
trailhead villages on the northern edge of the
national park are ingov, 5km west of Spisk
Nov Ves, and Podlesok, 2km southwest of
Hrabuice. There are lodgings in park villages but for full town services, youll have
to go into Spisk Nov Ves or Hrabuice.
Dedinky, at the south end of the park, is a
regular lakeside village with a pub, potraviny
(supermarket) and houses.
The 326km of trails through the parks rugged gorges include some fun and challenging sections equipped with technical aids
(ladders, chain handrails, and metal steps).
These stretches are one way (marked with
arrows on maps), and slippery when wet, so
plan ahead. Note that fines of up to 5000Sk
are payable on the spot for going the wrong
way, littering, lighting a fire or picking plants
within the park.
The shortest hike that includes a one-way
roklina (gorge) ascent is the one-hour Zejmarsk gorge hike on the blue trail. It starts at Biele
Vody (25 minutes northeast of Dedinky on
the red trail). To get back, follow the green
trail down to Dedinky (40 minutes), or theres
a chairlift (adult/child 30/15Sk; 9am-5pm) between
Geravy and Dedinky that, if its working, goes
on the hour.
From ingov a yellow trail heads to the
ever-popular lookout point, Tomovsk vhad
(667m), and on to Letanovsk mlyn and the
Hornd river. From here, head west again along
the Hornd to Kltorsk gorge, south up a oneway technically aided section to Kltorisko
chata, where theres a restaurant, small cabins and a great meadow for picnics. Follow
the green trail back along the ridge towards
ingov. Allow at least six hours for the circuit,
lunch at Kltorisko chata included. To hike
from ingov to Dedinky takes about eight
hours; head west to Biely potok and follow
the green trail by the stream to the photogenic
lake at Klauzy, continuing on a ridge trail that
eventually leads down to Dedinky.
From Podlesok an excellent days hike
heads up the Such Bel gorge (with several
steep ladders, the tallest 30m). At the top of
Tomovsk
Orientation
HIKING
EATING
Billa supermarket...............................14 F1
Caf Nostalgia.................................(see 3)
Retaurcia Lesnica...........................15 E2
E1
C2
E1
C4
C1
Hotel Flora..........................................9
Kltorisko chata..............................10
Park Hotel.........................................11
Penzin Pastiera.............................12
Ran u Trapera.................................13
To Koice
(via railway;
60km)
Most campgrounds and hotels have bike rentals, including the Hotel Flora and Park Hotel
in ingov, and skis are available for rent at the
base of the hill at Dedinky. Mlynky, 3km east
of Dedinky, is the areas ski central with five
T-bar lifts. Equipment rental (about 250Sk a
day) is available from the Hotel Mlynky (%053449 3523; www.hotelmlynky.sk; Mlynky-Biele Vody 252).
Sights & Activities
Rumbling waterfalls, steep gorges, sheer rock

faces, thick forests and hilltop meadows: Slovensk raj (Slovak paradise; www.slovenskyraj.sk; admission
20Sk) is a national park for the passionately
outdoorsy. The park is 90% covered in dense
pine and deciduous forest, and has several
rare species found only within its borders,
including 17 butterfly types and 20 wildflower
varieties. Easier trails exist, but the one-way
ladder- and chain-assist ascents are the most
dramatic. You cling to a metal rung headed
straight up a precipice while an icy waterfall
splashes and sprays a metre away. And thats
after youve scrambled horizontally across
a log ladder to cross the same stream down
below. Pure exhilaration. Poprad is the gateway to Slovensk raj National Park as well as
the Tatras.
14
SLOVENSK RAJ NATIONAL PARK
websites include www.slovenskyraj.sk and

www.slovenskyraj.org.
Spisk
Nov Ves
Sep-Jun) in Hrabuice, not far from the Ascona

Caf (Hlavn 99; per hr 25Sk; h1pm-midnight Sun-Thu, to
3am Fri & Sat), which has internet. Helpful park
S P I R E G I O N S l o v e n s k R a j N a t i o n a l Pa r k 421
from Levoa (18Sk, 20 minutes, every half

hour). For onward destinations near Slovensk raj National Park (see p422) connections
arent the best (you may want to consider
springing for a car in Koice).
lonelyplanet.com
4 km
lonelyplanet.com
2 miles
420 S P I R E G I O N S l o v e n s k R a j N a t i o n a l Pa r k
422 S P I R E G I O N S l o v e n s k R a j N a t i o n a l Pa r k
the gorge its possible to head east and wind

your way down to Kltorisko and the Hornd
river, before following the river west back to
Podlesok (or heading on to ingov). Allow at
least six hours for a round-trip.
DOBINSK ICE CAVE
The unusual Dobinsk Ice Cave (Dobinsk adov

Jaskya; % 058-788 1470; adult/student 150/130Sk;
h9am-4pm Tue-Sun Jun-Aug, 9.30am-2pm Tue-Sun May
& Sep) is 6km west of Dedinky and 12km south
Retaurcia Lesnica (%053-449 1518; Penzin

Lesnica; mains 90-200Sk) Residents favourite; kids like the
ice-cream sundaes.
AROUND PODLESOK
May to September there are food stands open

near the Podlesok trailhead parking lot and a
small but full-service restaurant.
Autocamp Podlesok (%053-429 9165; slovrajbela@
stonline.sk; Podlesok; per person/tent 60/60Sk, huts per person
230Sk; p) Big, big, big. Pitch a tent in the field
Jaskya (420Sk, 5 hours), Dedinky (420Sk,

five hours 50 minutes) and Mlynky (420Sk, six
hours). In reverse it leaves Koice at 2.50pm
stopping at Dedinky (146Sk, two hours)
etc. Otherwise, to get between Dedinky and
Koice requires a switch at Margecany (84Sk,
1 hours, six daily).
Getting Around
Getting around is not so easy really, unless
you hike or drive. One bus a day goes each
way between ingov and Hrabuice (10Sk, 45
minutes), Hrabuice and Dedinky (18Sk, one
hour), and Dedinky and ingov (25Sk, two
hours).
or choose from the A-frames, small huts or

cottages with two to 12 beds and a bathroom. The camping ground is a 2km walk
from Hrabuice; there are two restaurants on
site.
Ran u Trapera (%0911987231; www.rancutrapera
.skg.sk; Podlesok 16; r per person 450Sk) Stay the night in
a large log cabin dream and take a horseback
ride in the morning. This ranch B&B even
has front porch rocking chairs. Its about 2km
south of Podlesok (on the summer-only road
toward Dedinky).
Sleeping & Eating
AROUND DEDINKY
Free camping is not allowed within the park.

Surrounding towns such as Hrabuice and
Smiany have private and pension rooms for
rent (many posted at www.slovenskyraj.sk);
those below are closer to the trails. Almost all
area restaurants are inside lodgings.
The pub and the potraviny (supermarket), the

two staples of any village, are on the north
side of the lake, near where the chairlift terminates.
Penzin Pastiera (%058-798 1175; Dedinky 42;
s/d 300/600Sk; p) A small wooden guesthouse
waits at the edge of the village, near the forest and green trailhead. There are only five
rooms, so book ahead.
Horsk Hotel Geravy (%058-798 1179; www.geravy
.com; Geravy; dm 250Sk) At the top of the chairlift
above Dedinky sits this mountain hotel with
pub and picnic tables. Bunkroom accommodation is basic but the meadow views are
unbeatable. Full board available.
Boat along the river Styx, traipse through

a fairytale castle and admire an aragonite
flower. Do all this and more, among the fanciful underworld formations of the Slovak Karst
(Slovensk kras).
This region of limestone canyons and caves
lies at the eastern end of Slovensk rudohorie
(the Slovak Ore Mountains), a major range
that reaches the border with Hungary. Its
most spectacular landscapes are within the
440-sq-km Slovak Karst National Park, promoted to a Unesco World Heritage site in
1995. Five of the subterranean domains are
open to the public.
Above ground the area has the dramatic
Krsna Hrka Castle and ornate Betliar Palace. In this region all roads lead to the administrative capital, Roava, and transport
is infrequent. This makes it hard to see more
than one sight in a day without a car.
ROAVA
A few buses run directly from Poprad to

Dedinky (53Sk 1 hours, three daily) and to
Hrabuice (25Sk, 40 minutes, five on weekdays, one on weekends). Other than that
Spiska Nov Ves is the main transfer point
to Slovensk raj. From there two buses (no
trains) a day run to Hrabuice (22Sk, 35 minutes), two to ingov (10Sk, 12 minutes) and
three to Dedinky (53Sk, one hour). Few buses
are scheduled midday.
The daily Horehoronec fast train from Bratislava (6.16am), through Bansk Bystrica
(10.04am), stops at the Dobinsk adov
pop 19,260
Autocamping Tatran (%053-429 7105; www.durkovec

.sk; per person/tent/dm 80/60/220Sk, 2-person hut without
bathroom 190Sk; ps) Tents crowd together in
the pasture surrounded by tiny huts, a big

dormitory and multiroom rental houses with
satellite TV (2500Sk). Take a 2.2km tramp
west of the ingov bus stop.
Hotel Flora (%053-449 1129; www.hotelfloraslovenskyraj
.sk; s/d 750/1200Sk; ps) The lobby and worthwhile restaurant are mountain-fabulous, with
a stone fireplace, leather chairs and big windows. Pity the rooms didnt come along for
the renovation ride.
Park Hotel (%053-442 2022; www.parkhotel.vitex
.sk/; s/d 950/1200Sk; p) All rooms have a balcony
or a terrace. Pool tables, volleyball and tennis
courts, and a sauna up the fun factor. Nicely
isolated 1.2km before ingov village.
Also in the area:
Kltorisko chata (%053-449 3307; cabins per
person 250Sk) Small mountain huts and restaurant located
midtrail. Book ahead.
SLOVAK KARST
%058
Scattered outside the regions central city are

some interesting monuments and natural
wonders. Roava is a good base for exploring the Slovak Karst National Park, as well as
the areas castles.
This former mining town, 20km north
of the border, has an understandably big
Hungarian-speaking minority. It was the regions main gold, silver and iron ore centre
until the 17th century. Nm Bankov, the
town centre, is 2.5km north of the train station via afarkova and the bus station is one
S L O VA K K A R S T R o a v a 423
block southeast of the centre, on Zelenho

stromu. The staff at the Tourist Information
Centre (%732 8101; www.roznava.sk; Nm Bankov 32;
h8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) willingly help
you sort out the bus schedules to various
caves.
Stuck in town? Nm Bankovs buildings
include the 1654 watch tower (stran vea; adult/
student 30/15Sk; h10-11.30am & 1-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am3.30pm Sat, noon-3.30pm Sun Jun-Aug; at 10am, 11am, 1pm
& 2pm Mon-Fri Sep-May) and the Cathedral of the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Katedrla Nanebovzatia
panny Mrie; adult/student 30/15Sk), with a Renais-
sance altar depicting miners at work.

Restaurant-Penzin Alfa (%788 0701; Nm Bankov
33; r per person 600Sk) opened on a busy street corner in late 2005. It has a stonework restaurant
(part Slovak, part Italian menu) and comfy
rooms with pine beds. Hotel iern orol (%732
8186; www.ciernyorol.sk; Nm Bankov 17; s/d 700/1100Sk;
p) is the main town hotel, restaurant, beer
cellar everything. It is right next to the

visitor centre.
Five fast trains a day connect Roava with
Koice (118Sk, one hour), and there are more
frequent milk runs. One daily bus connects
to and from Poprad (100Sk, two hours) and
three to and from Dedinky (53Sk, one hour)
in Slovensk raj.
AROUND ROAVA
Betliar
The attraction of this town 4km north of

Roava is grand Betliar Manor House (Katie
Betliar; %798 3118; adult/student 100/50Sk; h8am4.30pm Tue-Sun May-Oct, 9.30am-2pm Tue-Sun Nov-Apr).
Built in the 18th century for the Andrssy

family, its stuffed with elegant furnishings,
relics collected in Africa and Asia, and a library of 20,000 books. That really was the life.
A stately garden encloses the estate.
The former family stables now contain
the Penzin pri katel Betliar (%788 2002; www
.kastielbetliar.sk; Katiena 16; s/d 600/900Sk; pi) and
its first-rate restaurant serving delectable
Hungarian and Slovak dishes (mains 80Sk to
150Sk) and desserts. Rooms arent fancy, but
they are new.
There are near-hourly buses through Betliar
from Roava (10Sk, 10 minutes).
Krsnohorsk Podhradie
Eight kilometres east of Roava, on a hill
above the village of Krsnohorsk Podhradie,
Krsna Hrka Castle (Hrad Krsna Hrka; %732 4769;
EAST SLOVAKIA
of Podlesok (via a summer-only road). The

ice in the Vek sie (Grand Hall) can be up
to 20m thick, and smooth and flat enough to
skate on (as demonstrated by former world
champion Karol Divn in the 1950s). The
frozen formations are most dazzling in May,
before they start to melt (no matter the date
the ambient temperature is only a few degrees
above freezing). The cave entrance is a steep
20-minute hike south from the bus stop and
adjacent restaurant. Tours leave every hour
or less.
AROUND INGOV
EAST SLOVAKIA
424 S L O VA K K A R S T C a v e s O f T h e S l o v a k K a r s t
adult/student 100/70Sk; h8am-4.30pm Tue-Sun May-Oct, by

appointment 9.30am-3.30pm Tue-Sun Nov-Apr) was built
in 1320. In the 16th century the Andrssy

family bought it, Renaissanced it and reinforced it. Most buildings burned in 1817, but
in the early part of the 20th century, Count
Dionysius Andrssy restored it and turned it
into a family museum.
The green, shady Camping pod hradom (%058732 5457; person/tent130/40Sk) is just beyond the
village on the way to the castle.
Seven to 11 buses serve Krsnohorsk Podhradie from Roava (10Sk, 10 minutes). The
closest train station is 1km south, at Lpovnk;
slow trains (osobn vlak, Os) between Roava
(12Sk, 10 minutes) and Koice (84Sk, 1
hours) stop there. The castle, visible from
everywhere, is a 3km walk east, up from the
village.
CAVES OF THE SLOVAK KARST
Slovak Karst National Park (Nrodn park Slovensk Kras) encompasses more than 34,000
hectares and contains many of the 47 known
jaskya (caves) in the region. It connects to
a similar park on the Hungarian side of the
border. In 1995 Unesco put 12 of the caves in
both parks on the World Heritage list (including Dobinska Ice Cave, p422). Below are the
five in or near the park that are open to the
public. Public transport in the district is a
bit rare, especially on weekends. None of the
caves are set up for the mobility-impaired.
The Tourist Information Office in Roava
can help with transport details. Tours take
35 to 45 minutes.
Many of the delicate aragonite formations
in the Ochtinsk Cave (Ochtinsk Aragonitov Jaskya;
inside-out stalactites grow from thin limestone tubes that water passes through, leaving
deposits at the growing end. The minerals
form into white and orange twists and spikes,
shapes resembling flowers and sea anemones.
A tour takes about 35 minutes.
Perhaps the most accessible, Gombaseck
Cave (Gombaseck Jaskya; %788 2020; adult/student
70/60Sk; h tours 9am-4pm hourly Tue-Sun Jun-Aug,
10am, 11am, 2pm & 3pm Tue-Sun Apr, May, Sep & Oct) is
only 10km south of Roava. Thin, strawlike stalactites up to 3m long are what this
cave is known for, but the mineral-dyed
orange walls are also striking. Overall, this
35-minute tour requires the least physical exertion of the Slovak Karst cave tours,
though there are some stairs. Buses connect
to Roava (13Sk, eight daily) from Tuesday
to Friday only.
Domica Cave (Jaskya Domica; %788 2010; adult/
student 80/40Sk, with boat trip 150/130Sk; htours 9am4pm hourly Tue-Sun Jun-Aug; 9.30am, 11am, 12.30pm
& 2pm Tue-Sun Apr, May, Sep & Oct) is the biggest,
best-known and most beautiful cave, full of

colour, and with some stalactites as thick as
tree trunks. Almost 2km of the 5km length
can be seen by boat along the underground
river Styx. (With a boat ride the tour takes 85
minutes, without, half that.) The cave is part
of a 22km-long system, most of which is in
Hungary (where its called Baradla). Domica
is 28km south of Roava, via Pleivec. Buses
depart up to 10 times a day from Tuesday to
Friday (36Sk, 45 minutes) and three times
on weekends. You can hike to Domica from
Gombasek (15km) on a yellow and then a
red trail via Silica.
Two less visited caves are Krsnohorsk Cave
(Krsnohorsk Jaskya; %788 2020; group admission 230Sk;
htours by appointment), containing a mighty tall
stalagmite (32.6m), and Jasov Cave (Jasovsk
Jaskya; %055-466 4165; adult/student 60/30Sk; htours
9am-4pm hourly Tue-Sun Jun-Aug, 10am-3pm Tue-Sun Apr,
May, Sep & Oct), which has been open to visitors
since 1846. It bears some graffiti apparently

left by Hussites in the 15th century. The first
cave is 6.5km southeast and the second 40km
northeast of Roava.
Woods surround the Hotel Hrdok (%486
0110; r 700-900Sk; pns), 2km before the
Ochtinsk cave entrance. This holiday house
has tennis courts and volley ball courts, a
swimming pool, bike rental and a restaurant.
From Tuesday to Friday five buses (32Sk)
run the 22km from Roava west of the cave.
Buses drop to two on weekends.
MURN PLAIN NATIONAL PARK

Thirty-five kilometres west-northwest of
Roava is Murn Plain National Park (Nrodn park
Murnska planina; www.muranska-planina.net, in Slovak),
a limestone massif dotted with wildflowers
and meadows. Truth is, theres a reason not
so many people come here. Its out of the way,
difficult to get around by public transport,
and does not have as many facilities as the
nations other parks. Murn is the main village (and a trailhead), five buses a day arrive
from Roava (74Sk, 1 hours).
ARI REGION
Each region of Slovakia has its own particular
folk tradition, with a distinct singing style,
folk costume, dances and the like. The ari
region, of which Preov is the economic centre, has protected and perpetuated its culture
more than most. Locals even have their own
dialect, derived from a shepherding lifestyle,
that is mutually unintelligible to Bratislavans.
Bardejov is the regions star with a Unescoquality town square, a neighbouring spa town
and area wooden churches.
PREOV
%051 / pop 91,700
If one of the local folk ensembles is performing, by all means go see it. Preov is a city
proud of its culture. Unlike other towns, here
you can readily buy folk crafts and music at
reasonable prices. The local museum does
an excellent job illuminating colourful local
shepherd traditions. Though this is basically
an industrial city, the historical buildings on
the main square have been nicely restored
(most were heavily damaged during WWII).
History
Archaeologists say there was a Slav settlement
here by the late 8th century. Hungarian colonists arrived in the 11th century and in 1687,
24 Protestants were executed here for their
support of Hungarian Imre Thkly and his
anti-Hapsburg uprising. Preov (Eperejes in
Hungarian), instead of joining the Czechoslovak nation, tried to proclaim itself a socialist
state (the Slovak Republic of Councils) tied to
Hungary. The Czechoslovak army took the city
and shooed the Hungarian troops out. Today,
Preov is the third-largest city in Slovakia.
Orientation
Hlavn, Preovs main street (literally), is a 20minute walk north up busy Masarykova from
the adjacent bus and train stations (or you can
take trolleybus 1 or 4 north for two stops).
Information
A couple of banks with ATMs line up along
Hlavn, and both the bus and train stations
have ATMs.
I-Netcaf (Nm Legionrov 1; per hr 42Sk; h8am-8pm
Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) On the upper floor
of the Tesco Department Store.
A R I R E G I O N P re o v 425
Post office (Masarykova 2)

Preov Information Service (PIS; %773 1113; www
.presov.sk; Hlavn 67; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm
Sat) Maps, books, souvenirs.
Sights
The 16th-century Rkczi Palace contains the
Regional museum (Krajsk mzeum; %759 8220; Hlavn
86; adult/student 30/10Sk; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 1-6pm Sun).
Seek out the ethnographic displays hidden up
an interior staircase to see playful displays of
the felt-wearing, axe-wielding, romanticised
life of a baa (head shepherd).
Assembled at the ari gallery (%772 5423;
Hlavn 51; adult/student 20/10Sk; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 26pm Sun) is a collection of 20th-century Slovak
art that includes painters from the Rusyn

culture (p434) of east Slovakia.
It was at the 17th-century town hall (radnica;
Hlavn 73) that the short-lived, socialist Slovak Republic of Councils backed by the
Hungarian Red Army was proclaimed a
nation of sorts in 1919. Accessible through
the buildings arcade is a cellar Wine Museum
(Mzeum vn; %773 3108; Florinova; adult/student 20/10Sk;
h8am-noon & 12:30-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) that
looks suspiciously like a wine shop, but the

samplings fun.
Master Pavol of Levoas workshop created
some of the sculpture in the Gothic Roman
Catholic Parish church of St Nicholas (Farsky kostol sv Mikule), first remodelled in 1515.
Peek inside the ornate Greek Catholic Church
of St John the Baptist (Kostol sv Jna Krstitea)
to see the handsome iconostasis.
Five kilometres north of Preov you can
hike up to the few remaining ruins of what
was Slovakias largest fortification, ari castle
(ariisk hrad). Built in the 13th century,
it lasted only until the 17th century when a
Polish king burnt it down. Follow the yellow trail 1 hours from the village of Vek
ari.
Sleeping
Turistick ubytova (%772 0628; www.pis.sk/turisticka
ubytovna; Vajanskho 65; s/d 350/600Sk; p) Bare-bones
basic a bed (though wed hardly call that a
mattress), table, and chair. There is a kitchen
for guests though.
Penzin Adam (%758 1789; www.penzionadam.sk;
Jarkov 16; s/d 1300/1500Sk; p) Something about
this penzin feels especially sunny and bright.
Maybe its the superhigh ceilings, orange bed
spreads and modern furniture, or golden
EAST SLOVAKIA
EAST SLOVAKIA
%488 1051; adult/student 120/100Sk; htours 9am-4pm

hourly Tue-Sun Jun-Aug; 9.30am, 11am, 12.30pm & 2pm TueSun Apr, May, Sep & Oct) are 14,000 years old. The
0
0
PREOV
A
17
To Bardejov (31km);
Svidnk (55km)
11
jan
Va
oradie
Hlavn
ov
er
ova
strom
antn
nsk
mly
Jark
ho
Suc
ova
vo
eo
Hl
ova
antn
Kont
14
Florinska
Gate
rk
ov
ka
Tk
21
ov
ie
mo
stro
vo
vn
oa
ar
t J
C3
C2
B3
C5
19
20
ov
t
der
Fe
15
EAST SLOVAKIA
va
fn
te
yko
sar
va
iko
SHOPPING
Ekumena................................... 20 D4
Folk Products............................. 21 C3
exterior. Or maybe its just that its so new

(opened mid-2006). Top-notch staff.
Penzin Ludwig (%0908254211; www.penzionludwig
.sk; Poiarnick 2; s/d 1900/2200Sk; p) Sloping eves
and half-timber beams add to the old-world
feel of this elegant inn. Duck in to your room,
sit down on the brocade and carved-wood settee, and connect your laptop to the internet.
ov
Gre
Nm
Legionrov
Ma
ENTERTAINMENT
Duchnovi Theatre.....................18 B2
Jon Zborsk Theatre............. 19 D4
ov
ko
Jar
er
Kp
DRINKING
Star Mexico..............................16 B2
Wave..........................................17 B1
Hla
ero
eb
rad
va
EATING
Bagetria....................................12
Gvinda..................................... 13
Retaurcia Chevalier................. 14
Tesco Department Store............ 15
Hurbanist
to
SLEEPING
Penzin Adam..............................9 C3
Penzin Ludwig......................... 10 A3
Turistick Ubytova................... 11 D1
12
Ba
Ja
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Church of St John the Baptist....... 4 C4
Parish Church of St Nicholas.........5 B2
Regional Museum........................ 6 C2
ari Gallery..................................7 C3
Town Hall.................................... 8 B2
Wine Museum...........................(see 8)
Sv
va
ko
plu
to
INFORMATION
I-Netcaf......................................1 C5
Post Office...................................2 D5
Preov Information Service...........3 B3
pku
Nle
Kpt
To Bus & Train

Stations (1km);
Koice (36km)
Dining downstairs is under panelled ceilings

and glittering chandeliers.
Eating & Drinking

National law says you have to have nonsmoking sections in restaurants; guess local eateries
must be classed as pubs because there are few
with nonsmoking sections.
A R I R E G I O N B a r d e j o v 427
Gvinda (%0911309108; Hlavn 70; mains 80-150Sk;

h11am-7pm Mon-Fri) This is one of three Indian
BARDEJOV
vegetarian self-service restaurants run by

Hare Krishnas in Slovakia.
Retaurcia Chevalier (%758 1590; Hlavn 69; mains
100-250Sk) Drink from stone goblets in a vaulted
cellar and imagine Preov in the middle ages.
Slovak specialities here are well executed.
For fast cheap eats, stop at the Bagetria
cafs that put up covered platforms on the
main square. The Tesco Department Store has
a grocery.
Star Mexico (%0915308285; Jarkov 63; h10ammidnight Sun-Thu, 10am-1am Fri & Sat) pub has occasional
live bands, or you can get funky at the galleryinternet caf-disco Wave (Hlavn 1; h10am-midnight
Mon-Thu, 10am-1am Fri, 4pm-1am Sat, 4pm-midnight Sun),
with various live sets Fridays and DJs throughout the week.
It may as well be the 15th century, this old town

centre has been so enthusiastically preserved.
All steep roofs and flat fronts, the GothicRenaissance burghers houses on the main
square seem strikingly homogeneous at first.
Look closer and you notice an ethereal sgraffito
decoration or a pastel hue and plaster detail that
sets each apart get your camera ready. Unesco
must have been impressed too, they put Bardejov on the World Heritage list in 2000. The quiet
square is the main drawcard today, but theres
also an excellent icon museum that sheds light
on this regions eastern-facing religion.
Nearby in Bardejovsk Kpele (p429) you
can take the cure at a hotspring spa and explore an open-air village museum. The wooden
churches in the area reflect the Carpatho-Rusyn
heritage shared with neighbouring parts of the
Ukraine and Poland.
Entertainment
History
There are several folk ensembles in town,

including arian (www.sarisan.sk), that play traditional songs and dances at various venues.
The Duchnovi Theatre (%772 3261; www.divadload.sk;
Jarkov 77) is a Rusyn minority playhouse where
the folk ensemble Pus performs.
Jon Zborsk Theatre (%772 4622; www.djz.sk; in
Slovak; Nm Legionrov 6) presents classical concerts
and plays from September through May.
Bardejov received its royal charter in 1376 and

grew rich on trade with Poland and Russia.
In the 17th century many of the Gothic town
square buildings were made over in Renaissance style (porticos and arcades added), and
some had rococo elements (ornamental plasterwork) tacked on in the 18th century. The
Thirty Years War, an anti-Hapsburg revolt
and the plague ended the towns development
but saved the fine centre square. None of the
original 80 buildings has been lost, and only
four houses have been added since the 1600s.
Restoration is an ongoing process, so expect to
see a building under scaffolding at all times.
(Hlavn 36; sandwiches 30-75Sk; h6am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am

Sat & Sun), or in warm weather, at one of several
eo
10
Km
ia
Po
ie
sk
k
nic
rad
ven
13
va 8
no
ri
Flo
16
Slo
to
Ba
18
mo
stro
av
ho
Km
sk
ari
nsk
Vaja
ov
tod
Me
ho
sk
pit
ovo
Kont
lska
Kme
ensk
To ari Castle (5km);

Levoa (53km);
Star ubova (63km);
Poprad (84km)
Slov
Batov
200 m
0.1 miles
lonelyplanet.com
Shopping
The usual Ulv store is on the main square, but
its better to stop at the excellent Folk Products
(%773 2694; www.oliviasimports.com; Hlavn 21; h11am7pm) for handmade wood-carving, embroidery,
lacework, as well as fujary (metre-plus horns

made out of wood) and valaky (shepherds
staffs that resemble a decorative axe). Down
the block you can buy hand-painted icons at
Ekumena (%772 0477; Hlavn 1).

Preov is 36km north of Koice and 21 daily
trains (38Sk, 45 minutes) connect the two.
No matter where youre coming from, youll
have to transfer in Preov for Bardejov (56Sk,
1 hours, five daily). Buses with a dozen or
more departures a day connect to and from
Koice (47Sk, 35 minutes), Bardejov (58Sk, 50
minutes), Svidnk (78Sk, 1 hours), Levoa
(89Sk, 1 hours), Poprad (124Sk, 1 hours)
and Star ubova (89Sk, 1 hours).
%054 / pop 33,400
Orientation
Radnin nm, the towns main square, is
about 400m southwest of the bus and train
station. The old town walls hide the centre
from the main road between Preov and Svidnk. If walking from the stations enter through
the gate off Slovensk at Batov.
Information
SOB (Radnin nm 7) Bank and ATM.
Golem Internet Caf (Radnin nm 25; per hr 25Sk;
h9am-11pm Mon-Fri, 1-11pm Sat & Sun)
Post office (Dlh rad 14)

Tourist Information Centre (%474 4003; www.e
-bardejov.sk; Radnin nm 21; h9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri
year-round, also 11.30am-3.30pm Sat & Sun May-Sep)
Info, souvenirs and guide service.
EAST SLOVAKIA
426 A R I R E G I O N P re o v
0
0
BARDEJOV
va
oro
tuz
Ku
Kpen
Topa
Slovensk
To Bardejovsk
Kpele (3km);
Svidnk (36km)
Perovsk
Train
18 Station
14
Kavinskho
to
rad
Dlh
11
12
Jir
va
va
To Hotel Bellevue
(3km)
(Sarik mzeum; %472 4966; www.muzeumbardejov.sk;

adult/student 40/20Sk; h8am-noon & 12.30-4pm Tue-Sun)
on the square. At the Icon Exposition (Expozcia
ikony; Radnin nm 27) you can see more than 160
ia
To Preov
(43km);
Na hr
adbch
SLEEPING
Penzin Hrady........................... 12 C2
Penzin Semafor.........................13 B1
EATING
Billa Supermarket........................14
Cukrre u Babika....................15
Maja Sendvi............................. 16
Retaurcia Hubert.....................17
ments (larger rooms) are even better. All share

a communal kitchen in this family-run guesthouse recommended by our readers.
Hotel Bellevue (%472 8404; www.bellevuehotel.sk;
Mihalov 2503; s/d 1900/2600Sk; pnais) As
swank as Bardejov gets: stay high on the hill
above the old town, with great views from
the glass-enclosed pool, sleep atop classic
but modern cherry-wood beds and eat at a
darn good full-service restaurant. Bellevue is
3km south of the centre; take bus 8 from the
train station.
Retaurcia Hubert (%0908982738; Radnin nm 4;
C1
B2
C3
C2
TRANSPORT
Bus Station.................................18 D1
Topa Sport.................................19 C2
suburbium; Mylnsk 6-7) has a synagogue in need of
restoration and a small Jewish cemetery.

Remnants of the towns ancient defences
include the restored Upper gate (Doln brna),
on Batov, the Powder gate (Pran brna)
to the south and the chunky, 14th-century
Archives bastion (Archvna bata) to the northwest, now occupied by a bar.
Festivals & Events

Friday evenings in July there are often concerts on the square as part of the Bardejov
Musical Summer (Bardejovsk Hudobn Leto).
The nearby skanzen in Bardejovsk Kpele
(opposite) has events all summer long.
Sleeping & Eating

Penzin Hrady (%0903211865; www.penzionivana.sk;
Stcklova 8; s/d/tr 495/750/880Sk; p ) Need your
hair cut? Theres a salon across the hall, and
an eatery downstairs, in this busy, old-town
building. The wood veneer rooms are nothing special.
Penzin Semafor (%0905830984; www.penzion
semafor.sk; Kellerova 13; s/d 700/900Sk, ste 800-1100Sk; p)
If the large, bright doubles are good, the apart-
list in this cellar restaurant. There are a few

animal-protein-free pastas available too.
Cukrre U Babika (Radnin nm 49; cakes 30-100Sk)
On the main square, in a Renaissance arcade,
Babika serves pastries and cakes like your
Slovak grandma used to make.
Maja Sendvi (%091941064; Radnin nm 15; sandwiches 40-50Sk; h8am-8pm Mon-Thu, 8am-midnight Fri, 311pm Sat & Sun) Sells baguette sandwiches to go.
Billa supermarket (Slovensk) A bit further
afield, the supermarket is next to the bus

station.
Looking for an adult beverage? Several
cafs, pubs and a pizzeria with cold beer
front the main square. A few more drinkeries
are along Stcklova near Penzin Hrady.
Getting There & Around

Local trains run regularly between Bardejov
and Preov (56Sk, 1 hours, nine daily). But
the bus is faster if you want to go to and
from Koice (100Sk, 1 hours, eight daily)
or Poprad (135Sk, 2 hours, 12 daily). From
Bratislava, three daily buses make the nine- to
10-hour journey (590Sk) direct.
Topa Sport (%474 4282; Potov 1; h9am-5pm
Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) rents bicycles for 120/450Sk
per day/week.
BARDEJOVSK KPELE
At least six species of evergreen shade the
paths of pedestrian-only Bardejovsk Kpele,
3km north of Bardejov. And then theres the
abundant shrubbery, flowers and other kinds
of trees. This could be an arboretum instead
of a leafy little spa town. Couples meander
about with birdsong as the only noise pollution and relaxing their only goal. Several of
the 19th- century rooming houses still exist,
but they are mixed in among 1970s-modern
A R I R E G I O N B a r d e j o v s k K p e l e 429
institutional structures to surreal effect. In

addition to spa treatment facilities, lodging
and shops, among the trees is one of Slovakias
best village museums (skanzen). A good time
to visit is mid-July, for the annual two-day
Rusyn-ari Folk Festival, but the museum often
has programmes on summer weekends.

The bus station and parking lot (no cars allowed in the main town area) are at the base
of a slope on the towns southeast end. Its
all uphill from there. The Spa House and the
skanzen are toward the top of town.
Herkules (%474 4744; www.herkules.sk; Kino riedo;
8am-4.30pm Mon-Sat) is the local travel agent/tourist
information office. Staff can arrange a weeklong spa stay with treatments and food.
Sights & Activities

To experience the local waters, make an appointment for a mineral bath at the Spa house
(Kpeln dom; %477 4255; www.kupele-bj.sk; spa services
150-300Sk; 8am-noon & 1-5pm Mon-Sat), on the east side
at the top of the main path. Or maybe youd

like a whirlpool soak, or a Scottish shower
(where they line you up against a tile wall and
squirt you with what looks like a water canon
in the name of massaging).
The main cure people come for can be
sipped at the colonnade (kolonda; admission free;
h6-8am, 10.30am-1pm & 4.30-6.30pm). Each of the
eight springs that feed the water taps has different mineral properties. A huge wall chart
details which spring treats what ailment;
brush up on your periodic table before trying
to decipher it and stick close to a bathroom
after imbibing.
To the west of the colonnade is the Museum of Folk Architecture (Mzeum udovej Architektry;
%472 2070; adult/student 40/20Sk; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun
May-Sep, to 3pm Oct-Apr). The onion-domed dark
wooden church from Zboj is among the 25

area buildings moved to this skanzen, composed of sparsely furnished log and plaster
cabins, barns and smithy workshops, beehives
and haylofts. Peer into the simple dwellings
and see how some rural folk still live. In 2005
the church from Mikulaova (1730) was
completely reconstructed here (thus the light
wood) and put in use for Sunday liturgy.
Sleeping & Eating

The majority of spa guests are still those with
medical prescriptions for three- to six-week
EAST SLOVAKIA
dazzling icons from the 16th to 19th centuries. Originally, the stylised portraits of Christ
Pantocrator, the Mother of God and a whole
flock of saints decorated Greek Catholic and
Orthodox churches east of here. The other
branch, the 1509 town hall (radnica; Radnin nm
48), centre square, houses the Historical Exposition (Historick expozcia). The building is
a unique piece of early Renaissance architecture: note the bay staircase, the carved
stone portals and the wooden inlay ceiling in
the Meeting Room. The rooms contain local
paintings, coins and weaponry.
A fine example of late Gothic architecture
inside and out, the 15th-century Basilica of
St Egdius (Bazilika Sv Egdia; adult/student 30/20Sk, tower
40/20Sk; h10am-3pm Mon-Fri, to 2pm Sat) is packed
with no less than 11 winged Gothic altarpieces built from 1460 to 1510. West of the
square the 18th-century Jewish suburb (idovsk
o
nc
Krtky
10
ko
There are two branches of the ari museum
EAST SLOVAKIA
16
4
Vetern
Stcklova
ov
kn
Rhodyho
Sights
Radnin
nm
ti
Fran
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Archives Bastion...........................5 B2
Basilica of St Egdius.....................6 C2
Jewish Suburb..............................7 A2
Powder Gate................................8 C3
ari Museum Historical
Exposition................................ 9 C2
ari Museum Icon Exposition.. 10 C3
Town Hall..................................(see 9)
Upper Gate................................11 C2
Statue of
St Florin
Hviezdoslav ova
15
Kltors
INFORMATION
SOB....................................... 1 C2
Golem Internet Caf.....................2 nsB3
Partiz ka
Post Office...................................3 C2
Tourist Information Centre...........4 C3
rad
17
1 19
Potov
mains 100-169Sk; h10am-10pm Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm Sat &

Sun) Game dishes and other meaty fare top the
Ba
Mlynsk
Hurbanova
7
To Star
ubova (51km)
Nov sad
Lpy
Fukova
eskej
13
Kellerova
TJ Partizn
Stadium
200 m
0.1 miles
ibsk Voda
428 A R I R E G I O N B a r d e j o v
430 E A S T E R N B O R D E R L A N D S
WOODEN CHURCHES AROUND BARDEJOV

At the crossroads of Eastern and Western Christianity developed a particular form of sacral
architecture the dreveny kostol (wooden church). The simple, yet somehow sublime outward
appearance belies the rich interiors packed with religious images. At the front you have the
iconostasis, or icon screen, lined with the venerated representations of Christ and the saints.
The most precious icons have been moved to the Sari museum (p428) in Bardejov and replicas
put in their place.
Some of the churches are still used for services but most remain locked during the week. The
caretaker, upon seeing a stranger in the small village, may wander up and offer to open it. If
not, politely asking the nearest older person smile, point at the church, make a key gesture
seems to lead to finding someone who can let you in. (At least a 20Sk donation to the key guy
and one to the church is appropriate.)
The most easily accessible wooden churches around Bardejov:
Two Greek Catholic churches from the area are now in the open-air musem in Bardejovsk
Kpele, 3km north of Bardejov. Both have striking iconostasis, the latter is newly reconstructed and in use on museum grounds.
The small three-dome Greek Catholic church (1763) in Jedlinka, with a baroque interior, was
built in honour of the Mother of God, of whom there is a highly prized icon. Its 14km north
of Bardejov, and frequent buses between Svidnk and Bardejov stop here.
The Roman Catholic exception to the rule resides in Hervartov. This St Francis of Assisi is the
stays (nice, huh?). Their programme includes buffet meals, so restaurants around
town arent great. Several of the lodgings take
individual travellers, and you can opt for full
board. The Herkules tourist office arranges
private rooms (across the path from an icecream shop).
Albeta (%477 4470; www.kupele-bj.sk; r 20-27) This
Victorian lady sits at the top of the hill next to
the Spa House. Shes a bit old fashioned with
dark wood and small spaces but thats what
makes you able to imagine the time when empresses stayed here. Theres a salt-cave treatment room on the ground floor.
Afrodita (%472 7148; mastery@slovanet.sk; r 750Sk;
n) The towns pizzeria rents out two flats
above the restaurant, one with high-speed internet connection. It doesnt make a bad slice
o pizza either (pizzas 90Sk to 115Sk).
Sala Lesn (%474 2433; mains 55-90Sk; h8.30am11pm) Has all the Slovak specialities at their
folksy best. Dig into your fresh haluky (small,
gnocchi-like dumplings usually topped with
sheeps cheese and bacon bits) while admir-
ing the hand-carved chairs and rustic dcor.

Lesn is 1km south of Bardejovk Kpele on
the main road from Bardejov.

If you like you can walk the 3km north from
Bardejov, with the last 1.5km meandering
through wooded countryside. Bardejovsk
Kpele is connected at least hourly to the
Bardejov bus station (18Sk) via city bus 1, 2,
7, 8, 10 and 12. The last bus back is at around
7.30pm.
EASTERN
BORDERLANDS
Shingled onion domes rise above the dark
wooden churches as Old Church Slavonic
chants float from within; you know that
theres something different about this part
of the country. The borderlands are home to
a large Rusyn minority (see the boxed text,
p434) that also has members in neighbouring Ukraine and Poland. In fact, many of
the village signs are written twice, once in
the Cyrillic alphabet. Life here is generally
quiet, rural, industrial and poor. The wooden
churches spread throughout the region are the
attraction, but they are located in tiny villages
with few services. A hearty hiker could reach
a few from Snina in a day.
At the far eastern edge of the country, Poloniny National Park is a striking expanse of
hilly forest largely untouched by man. The
surprise of the district is the Andy Warhol
museum in Medzilaborce, near where his
family came from.
Unless you have lots of time to explore the
borderlands, its best to rent a car in Koice;
buses here are infrequent and train service all
but nonexistent.
MICHALOVCE
%056 / pop 39,842
A sterile little town centre, with one heck of

a socialist-realist happy peasant statue at its
heart, provides little reason to stop. In a few
shops on the square you can buy the wellknown rustic brown-glazed pottery, decorated with graphic patterns and folk symbols,
thats produced south of here in towns like
Pozdiovce. Otherwise you can connect to the
Ukraine from this eastern outpost.
Bus is the best way to get here from Koice
(89Sk, 1 hours, at least 10 daily). An hourly
bus service connects to Humenn (44Sk, 30
minutes). Up to four buses a day make the
one-hour drive to Uzhhorod in the Ukraine
(296Sk).
HUMENN
%057 / pop 35,008
This peaceful town on the Laborec river has

a French-style baroque chateau, which began
as a Gothic castle turned museum and a skanzen. Everything is on the main square, Nm
Slobody, where youll also find banks and the
Internet Klub (Nm Slobody 4; per hr 40Sk; 10am-7pm
Mon-Fri). The adjacent bus and train stations are
500m due west of the vast, pedestrian-friendly
square; the Information Office (%788 1051; 8amnoon & 1-6pm) is in the train station.
The local palace now contains the Vihorlatsk museum (%775 2240; adult/student 35/10Sk;
h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 2-6pm Sat & Sun May-Oct), with
exhibits on archaeology, local history and
feudal housing. Uphill from there is the as-
E A S T E R N B O R D E R L A N D S M i c h a l o v c e 431
sociated skanzen (adult/student 30/15Sk; h9am-6pm

May-Oct), with about 10 Rusyn rural wooden
houses from around the region, dating from
the 19th and early 20th centuries. Pride of
place goes to a wooden church built in 1754.
Summer festivals enliven the place with folk
song and dance.
The up-to-date suites at Penzin Albina (%775
6303; Nm Slobody 61; r 1900Sk; p) are very close to
the museums. The restaurant is quite popular
at lunchtime. You can have a meat fest with
four of your best friends at the cavernous
beer hall/grill restaurant Yes (%0903655770; Nm
Slobody; mains 100-150Sk; h9am-11pm Mon-Thu, 9am-2am
Fri & Sat, 2-11pm Sun); for 480Sk you get ribs, wings,
sausage and bacon for four.

Humenn is on a rail spur line from
Michalovce (52Sk, 30 minutes, 10 daily) and
Medzilaborce (56Sk, 1 hours, 11 daily).
Buses are better for other destinations: Koice
(128Sk, two hours, five daily), Preov (100Sk,
1 hours, five daily), Svidnk (100Sk, two
hours, four daily).
SNINA
%057 / pop 21,382
Plonked between the Vihorlatsk Highlands

and Poloniny National Park is this nondescript refinery town that is valuable as a base
for exploring the areas wooden churches
(see the boxed text, p432). The dynamite
little CKU (%768 5735; unitur@stonline.sk; Strojrska
102; h 9-11am & noon-5pm Mon-Sat Jun-Sep, closed
Sat Oct-May) travel agency/tourist office is a
real revelation. They have tons of literature

about the churches, including Icon Cyclotour
booklets that have a map and colour photos
of area churches, and one family member
or other of the staff knows all the lodging
owners personally. Dont forget to pick up
the VK map Bukovsk Vrchy (1:50,000,
No 118, 90Sk) for hiking. Hotel Kamei rents
bikes.
The modern town centre is a bit run down,
but inside one of the blocky buildings the
Caravella (%758 1071; www.caravella.s-n.sk; dm/apt
300/1000Sk; pizzas 75-115Sk) pizzeria and penzin
has been recently renovated (rooms redone
in 2006). Apartments have colourful paint
on the wall and Ikea-like furnishings. Outside of town, in the woods, 3km east of the
centre, is the holiday-oriented Hotel Kamei
(%768 2187; www.kamei.sk; s/d 1100/1600Sk; ps).
A five-minute walk from here leads to two
local lakes for swimming (free to guests) and
EAST SLOVAKIA
EAST SLOVAKIA
oldest wooden church in Slovakia (built around 1500, reconstructed in 1990). The interior of
the nave is from 1665, and is richly decorated with frescoes. Its 9km southwest of Bardejov;
at least three buses daily travel between the village and Bardejov.
For more information buy the full-colour English language booklet Wooden Churches near Bardejov from the Bardejov tourist office. Carpathian Wooden Pearls is a map of 27 wooden churches
(also online) put out by the Preov Diocese (www.grkatpo.sk/drevenecerk/). There are also clusters
of wooden churches in villages near Svidnk and Snina in the Eastern Borderlands.
SVIDNK
%054 / pop 12,534
The bus station is 200m east of centre, just

off Centrlna, the main pedestrian square.
The sights are spread out along Bardejovsk.
City Information Centre (%752 0461; Sovietskych
Get up close and personal with Rusyn culture.

This eastern outpost has some first-rate Rusyn
ethnographic sights and events, including a
huge hillside skanzen accessed through the
Rusyn museum in town, and an annual festival
celebrated since 1956. This area was also significant in WWII; military history buffs enjoy
the roadside tanks that stand as battlefield
monuments and the Military Museum. The
town itself was all but destroyed in both world
wars and the town square today is unfortunately functional looking; the area is industrial.
Sights
The Museum of Ukrainian-Rusyn culture (Mzeum
Ukraijnsko-Rusnskej kultry; %752 2271; www.muk.sk;
Centrlna 258; adult/student 60/30Sk; h 8.30am-4pm
Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun) offers a good look at
0
0
SVIDNK
5
200 m
0.1 miles
To Dukla
(20km)
C
L
To Bardejov
(36km)
tr
D
e
INFORMATION
City Information Centre................1 B2
Veobecn verov banka........... 2 C2
Ml
de
%057 / pop 6650
1
Du
ch
vi
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

Dezider Milly Gallery....................3
Military Museum..........................4
Monument to the Soviet Army.....5
Museum of Ukrainian-Rusyn
Culture.................................... 6
Skanzen....................................... 7
ov
ino
h
nsk
EATING
Lugano Pizza................................9 C1
od
me
vob
ntr
Ge
nS
ln
to
TRANSPORT
Bus Station.................................10 C2
Po
rka
St To Preov (65km);
ro Koice (91km)
pk
ov
sk
do
La
era
Dr
Go
ldb
erg
C2
A2
SLEEPING
Hotel Rubn..................................8 C2
ych
Ce
6
D2
B1
B1
hrd
ov
tsk
ov
vie
tuz
a
rsk
vs
Ku
So
ejo
ie
rd
Ko
va
sti
Ba
Amphitheatre
no
lov
10
Partizn
ska
EAST SLOVAKIA
It is a bit surreal to see a large Campbells

soup can in a small village in the far northeast
corner of Slovakia. The town has exactly one
claim to fame: the Andy Warhol Family Museum of
Modern Art (%748 0072; Andyho Warhola; adult/student
100/50Sk; h10am-4pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm Sat & Sun).
Though the artist Andy Warhol (192887)
was born in Pittsburgh, USA as Andrej Varchola, his parents came from the village of
Mikov, 8km northwest of Medzilaborce.
Warhol never acknowledged his roots, even
though he could speak Rusyn. The museum
was founded after his death by his US and
Slovak relatives, especially his brother John.
Inside are family memorabilia and many
Warhol originals, including Red Lenin,
hrdinov 38; h9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) Pretty unhelpful.

Veobecn verov banka (VB; Centrlna) Has an
exchange desk and an ATM.
ar
MEDZILABORCE
restaurant adorned with Warhol prints.

Medzilaborce is up a rail spur line from
Humenn (56Sk, 1 hours, up to 10 daily).
Almost all buses from Preov and Koice require a change at Humenn (89Sk; 1 hours,
up to six daily). One morning bus a day connects to Svidnk (66Sk, 1 hours).
ava
Bordering both Poland and Ukraine is the

29,805-hectare Poloniny National Park (Poloniny nrodn park), a wild area 90% forested
with beech and fir-oak trees, and home to the
likes of wolves, lynxes and wildcats. You can
walk for ages without seeing another person
or anything man-made. Even the undulating
drive, over steep hills, past forest vistas, is
refreshing.
The park engulfs the village of Nov Sedlica.
A popular day walk begins here and makes
a beeline for the highest point in the park,
Kremenec (1221m), which marks the converging borders of Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine
(four hours on the red trail). An elevation
changefree hour and a half follows a ridge
west along the Polish border to iertz (1
hours), where you can turn south on the green
trail to get back to Nov Sedlica (2 hours).
Or continue on past iertz and Dzurkpwiec
Durkovec (1189m) before dropping down
to the Rusk sedlo (795m). From here its
possible to cross into Poland (a summer-
History
1640; www.penzionandy.sk; Andy Warhola 121; 3-person r

1800Sk; p), with large apartments and a decent
Ond
EAST SLOVAKIA
POLONINY NATIONAL PARK
only border crossing) to a small camping

ground and chata. Theres no wild camping in
the park, but you can stay at the comfy Penzin
Kremence (%769 4156; www.kremenec.sk; r per person
350Sk) in Nov Sedlica, amid the village houses
on the highest street. The friendly family will
serve you meals too.
There are five buses Monday to Friday from
Snina to Nov Sedlica (66Sk, 1 hours), one
on Saturday. You have to switch in Snina to
get here from anywhere else.
The best alternative to staying the night in the

dismal town with great sights is to sleep in
Bardejov (35km away) and take a day trip.
Svidnk evolved from Vyn and Nin (Upper
and Lower) Svidnk, which had as much as an
80% Rusyn population according to the 1930
census. German and Soviet forces clashed here
in November 1944. The Germans knew that if
the Soviets breached German defences around
the Dukla Pass they could easily advance across
the plains to the south, so some of the most
ferocious fighting of WWII took place in and
around Svidnk. Communist Slovakia outlawed
the Greek Catholic faith and declared the
Rusyn minority Ukrainian (and thus Orthodox). Still, around 15% of the population once
again claims Rusyn as their ethnic identity. For
more see the boxed text, p434.
Fe
fishing, and the hotel rents bikes and skis. Full

board at the restaurant is 550Sk.
Trains (32Sk, 40 minutes, 10 daily) and
buses (31Sk, 40 minutes, four daily) run between Snina and Humenn.
Campbell Soup II, Hammer & Sickle and

Mao Tse Tung. There are also paintings by
his nephew James Warhol and older brother
Paul Warhola. Paul, a chicken farmer living
near Pittsburgh, took up painting at the age
of 61; his Heinz Ketchup Bottle painting sold
for $US10,000. To get there from the train
station, turn left onto Andyho Warhola and
keep going straight for 800m look for the
Campbells soup cans out front.
Opposite the museum is Penzin Andy (%732
on
Near the Ukrainian border are some beautiful examples of the traditional wooden churches
reflective of the local Rusyn culture. By car, bike or foot is the only way to get around, as buses
between villages are sporadic at best, and most dont run on weekends. Churches are locked
except for services; ask around for someone who can let you in.
The first wooden church is 3km east of Snina in the village of Jalov. This tiny 1792 church
was completely rebuilt by traditional methods in 2004. High on a hill, Topoa, 13km east of
Snina, is more impressive. The 18th-century iconostasis and 1819 Old Church Slovanic liturgy
book are still inside the church.
From Topoa, instead of following the road, you can hike over the hill via the blue trail (2
hours) to Rusk Potok, 24km east of Snina. The church itself dates from the 1740s, but the rare
liturgy books date from 1626 and 1654. Note the richly carved woodwork. A further 1-hour
hike east on the blue trail brings you to Uliske Kriv (1718), 35km east of Snina. The structure
is quite large, as wooden churches go, with correspondingly elaborate iconography inside. Look
for the Jesus Pantocrator icon (with his two right fingers held up in blessing), which was painted
in the 1500s.
The end of this particular road is 7.5km further at Nov Sedlica. The church has been moved
to the village museum in Humenn (p431), but this town the furthest east in Slovakia is the
point for leaping into Poloniny National Park (below).
If you have your own transport, dont stop here: look for the church symbol and words dreven
kostol (wooden church) marked on regional maps, then explore on. Youll find many more wooden
churches throughout the area.
E A S T E R N B O R D E R L A N D S S v i d n k 433
Pi
WOODEN CHURCHES AROUND SNINA
lonelyplanet.com
432 E A S T E R N B O R D E R L A N D S P o l o n i n y N a t i o n a l Pa r k
434 E A S T E R N B O R D E R L A N D S S v i d n k
lonelyplanet.com
Sleeping & Eating
THE RUSYNS & RELIGION
traditional Rusyn culture and history. The best

bits are the folk dresses and painted Easter
eggs; unfortunately, everything is labelled in
Slovak and Rusyn only.
Operated by the museum, the skanzen (%752
Opposite the skanzen, on the other side of

Bardejovsk, stands a 37m-tall Monument to
the Soviet army (Pamtnk Sovietskej armdy)
and a common grave for 9000 Soviet soldiers.
Outside the Military museum (Vojensk mzeum;
2952; Festivalov; adult/student 60/30Sk; h8.30am-6pm TueFri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun Maymid-Oct) has a fine col-
%752 1397; Bardejovsk; adult/student 30/15Sk; h8am4pm Tue-Fri, 8.30am-5pm Sat & Sun Jul & Aug; 8am-4pm TueFri, 9.45am-2pm Sat & Sun Sep-Jun), tanks, armoured
vehicles and a US-made Dakota transport

aircraft with Soviet markings stand about
like a military skanzen. Inside you can study
photographs and maps of the Dukla battle.
Lonely Planet Publications

E A S T E R N B O R D E R L A N D S A r o u n d S v i d n k 435
The road north of Svidnk leads to Dukla Pass

on the Polish border, where there is a huge war
memorial. This area is an open-air collection
of WWII weaponry mainly Soviet, some
German left where it was abandoned in the
battle for the pass. The many onion-domed
wooden Rusyn churches in the area are a bit
more uplifting. A car is really useful here.
a second church at Bodrual (1648) and, on a

brief detour almost to the Polish border, the
three-domed church at Prkra, built in 1777. A
few kilometres south of Bodrual is a photogenic three-domed church at Miroa (1770).
Back on the SvidnkDukla road, in Nin
Komrnik, is one of the regions newer wooden
churches (1938), with bright-yellow doors,
bits of stained glass and unusually broad
domed towers.
The last village with a church before the
Dukla Pass is Vyn Komrnik. A few hundred
metres before the Vyn Komrnik turn-off,
on the left (west) side of the highway, is a
marker for a 30-minute loop trail past foxholes and anti-aircraft guns.
The Dukla Pass (Dukliansky priesmyk), about
20km from Svidnk, is the lowest point in the
Laborec range, and is named after the Polish
town of Dukla on the other side. Czechoslovak
units fighting with the Soviets crossed here
and liberated Vyn Komrnik on 6 October
1944. The battle for the pass lasted from 8 September to 27 November 1944, during which
85,000 Soviet soldiers and 6500 Czechoslovaks
died or were wounded.
About 1km south of the 24-hour border
crossing to Poland is a 49m stone war memorial
Sights & Activities
(admission free; h8.30am-5pm Tue-Fri, 9.30am-6pm Sat

& Sun mid-Aprmid-Oct), on the spot where the
Hotel Rubn (%752 4210; hotelrubin@stonline.sk; Centrlna 274; s/d 500/900Sk; p) The somewhat dingy
Hotel Rubn is on the main square, across
from the Ukrainian-Rusyn museum. Rooms
are modern enough and theres a restaurant
and nightclub.
Eating options are generally grim you
can dine on pizza and calzone at Lugano Pizza
(%752 3990; Sovietskych hrdinov 467; pizzas 90-150Sk), or
there are a couple of places along Centrlna.

You can bus to and from Bardejov (53Sk, 50
minutes, 15 on weekdays, four weekends),
Preov (89Sk, 1 hours, nine daily), Koice
(128Sk, two hours, three daily) and Dukla
(32Sk, 40 minutes, four daily).
AROUND SVIDNK
The Valley of Death (dol smrti) lies along the

first major road to the left after heading north
from Svidnk on the road to Ladomirov;
at the crossroads is a monument made of a
Soviet T-34 tank crushing a German Panzer.
This road leads to the village of Dobroslava
and its 1932 wooden church with three large
onion domes. Along the road are preserved
Soviet tanks, seemingly frozen in the act of
advancing across the fields.
Ladomirov, the first village on the main
road northeast of Svidnk, has a handsome,
onion-domed church built in 1742. Take the
southeast turn-off at Krajn Poana to reach
Czechoslovak General Svoboda had his observation post. The surrounding area is littered with rusting machine guns, mortars
and other weapons that act as monument
and museum.

There are two buses a day Monday to Friday
to Dobroslava from Svidnk (18Sk, 15 minutes). Buses run to the wooden churches along
the main SvidnkDukla road at fairly regular
intervals on weekdays, but to reach the others
youll need a car. Four buses a day connect
Svidnk with Dukla (32Sk, 40 minutes).
Festivals & Events

Each year in late June Svidnk hosts the
weekend-long Rusyn-Ukrainian Cultural Festival
adult/student 30/10Sk; h8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm

Sat & Sun), in an old mansion, was created to
(Slavnosti kultry Rusnov-Ukrajincov Slovenska; www.muk

.sk), with Rusyn music and dance troupes not
house paintings by its namesake, a contemporary painter, as well as by other Rusyn artists.
The 16th- to 19th-century icons on display
are equally impressive.
only from Slovakia but from the Ukraine, Germany, Scandinavia and elsewhere. Upwards
of 30,000 visitors come to see the shows in the
amphitheatre below the skanzen.
Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
restricted. In return, we think its fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
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the above - Do the right thing with our content.
EAST SLOVAKIA
EAST SLOVAKIA
Scholars disagree about when the east Slavic people arrived in the Carpathian mountains, but
their connection to Eastern Christianity is clear. If you had asked a Rusyn what ethnicity he was
before WWI, he would likely have told you he was Greek Catholic. This hybrid faith originated in
the Carpathian region that is now part in eastern Slovakia, part in the Ukraine and part in Poland.
In 1596 and 1646 the Union of Uzhhorod and the Union of Brest brought the local Orthodox
churches back in union with Rome (Christianity had split into east/west Byzantine/Roman around
1054). Many of the traditions of Orthodoxy were maintained plain-chant liturgies, onion dome
architecture, icon veneration, married priests but the leader of the church is the pope, and the
theology Catholic. Most of the wooden churches you see in the region were originally Greek
Catholic, also called Uniate and Byzantine Catholic, until history intervened.
During WWI the many Rusyns who had emigrated to find work in the coalfields of the Eastern US took part in negotiations that resulted in the Pittsburgh Agreement recommending that
Podkarpatska Rus (Subcarpathian Ruthenia) become a part of a newly created Czechoslovakia.
This lasted until after WWII, when the territory was mostly annexed to the USSR, with little pieces
left in Slovakia and Poland. (On a side note: an independent governorship existed in Podkarpatska Rus for several months in 1939. Once Hitler fully controlled the Czech Lands, the governor
declared his territory a nation the Carpatho-Ukraine. Hungarian troops rolled in the next day
and nixed that.)
The Rusyns that were left in Czechoslovakia under communism were declared Ukrainian and
some Greek Catholic churches turned over to Orthodoxy, if they were allowed to continue at
all. (In the Ukraine, Greek Catholic churches were confiscated wholesale.) PostVelvet Revolution,
many of the Greek Catholic properties were returned to the church and there is once again a
bishop sitting in Preov.
Thanks in part to the vocal migr population, the Rusyn language was codified in 1996 and
Rusyns have become a recognised minority in Slovakia. Svidnk is probably the closest there is to
a Rusyn cultural centre, with a dedicated museum, a skanzen, an art gallery and a festival. Preov
(p425) has a theatre and a Rusyn dance troupe, as well as a Greek Catholic cathedral and several
churches. Step into any wooden church in the eastern borderlands, or admire the icons at the
Bardejov Icon Exposition (p428) and youre witnessing a part of a uniquely Carpathian culture.
lection of traditional Rusyn architecture and

furnishings. This includes old houses from the
region, barns, a school, fire station, ceramics
and weaving workshops, saw and grist mills
and wooden church built in 1776. Some timehonoured farming and sheep-raising is done on
the expansive green grounds, and the working
village pub serves welcome refreshments.
The Dezider Milly gallery (%752 1684; Partiznska;

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op

beneath the Tatras in Kemarok (p412)

Take a break in the pleasant town square

Church of St James in Levoa (p416)

See Slovakias greatest Gothic altar at the

Hike to Spi castle (p418), the largest

Slovensk raj National Park (p420)

Unesco-listed Bardejov (p427)

View the striking Renaissance square in

Lonely Planet Publications

To Steel Arna (400m);

prize for sight most likely to grace your Koice

The dark and brooding Cathedral of St Elizabeth

(Dm sv Albety; %0908667093; adult/student 70/35Sk;

Executioner's Bastion...............(see 14)

als and fiction in English, some by Slovak authors.

Koice received its city coat of arms in 1369

Plane, train and bus stations all have ATMs.

Koice is 20km north of Hungary, 90km south

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

People just naturally seem to congregate along

%055 / pop 235,000

Train and bus services west of Preov and

garian accent and the Magyar language can

Getting There & Away

Frescoes decorate the interior, as do the stone

the 14th century, rebuilt in the 20th), on the

Workers found the secret stash of 2920 gold

nected pair of 16th-century houses that once

State Theatre (opposite). To the north there

Koice for Children

Festivals & Events

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

inside with serpentine, flower-shaped lights

the modern, loftlike dining room at all hours.

looking masks and wood booths do create a

and roast pork and dumplings in the kitchen

during the spring music festival. Though staged

occasionally has live jazz. The latter also has

27; adult/student 40/20Sk; h10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 2-5.30pm

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

a museum with archaeology, town history

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES

To Tatransk Lomnica (14km);

To Star ubova (34km);

been carved by students of Master Pavol of

.kezmarok.net; Hlavn nm 46; h8am-noon & 1-5pm

Snuggled beneath the brooding peaks of the

9pm) Email available.

Kemarok Information Agency (%452 4047; www

%052 / pop 12,740

2220; Nm poiarnikov; admission 10Sk; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri

best bookstore map selections in the country.

Internet Netca (Hlavn nm 62; per hr 35Sk; h10am-

in 1718. The cross-shaped interior of carved

Kemarok is 14km from Tatransk Lomnica

Big international chain rental agencies Hertz

fortress of a 20th-century church. Inside is

Orientation & Information

Buses wind their way to and from Levoa

Transport tickets (one zone 12Sk) are good for

Imre Thkly was a contemporary of Ferenc

Koice International Airport (KSC; %622 1093; www

hours) and three to Krakw in Poland (844Sk,